Kejriwal Arrested, Remanded by CBI in Liquor Policy Case
On Wednesday, the CBI arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case following the Rouse Avenue Court’s permission for the agency to interrogate the AAP leader. The CBI placed him in custody for three days, and he is scheduled to appear in court on June 29 at 7 pm.
After his arrest, Kejriwal withdrew the petition filed in the Supreme Court that challenged the Delhi High Court’s order staying his bail in the money laundering case.
#WATCH | Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal taken from the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi.
The Court has sent him to a 3-day CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case. pic.twitter.com/c5cLt4Z0Ou
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2024
The ED arrested Kejriwal in connection with the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam on March 21. He remains incarcerated in Tihar Jail.
During the trial court hearing, the CBI stated that Kejriwal’s custody was necessary to confront him with documents. Additionally, the CBI alleged that Kejriwal had shifted responsibility to former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia, attributing the privatization idea to him.
According to the CBI, Kejriwal asserted that Vijay Nair, the former communication-in-charge of AAP and a defendant in the case, operated under Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj.
‘The Chief Minister refrained from taking any ministry but has involvement in every aspect,’ stated the CBI lawyer.
Vikram Chaudhari, Kejriwal’s lawyer, opposed the CBI’s request, stating that he had not been informed about the CBI’s application to the court and the subsequent order granting permission to interrogate Kejriwal.
Concern Over Execution
Kejriwal’s counsel raised serious concern over the manner of execution. They requested access to the documents and urged for postponement of the hearing until the following day, emphasizing that filing a response would not cause significant disruption.
The CBI recorded Kejriwal’s statement in jail on June 25 and requested his appearance before the trial court on Wednesday.
Senior advocate DP Singh, representing the CBI, stated that according to the agency, conducting investigations is their prerogative and the law does not require them to inform the accused beforehand.
‘The law does not mandate informing them prior to conducting the investigation. The situation was similar in K Kavitha’s case; I only require court permission,’ stated the CBI.
Kejriwal’s lawyer argued that the CBI did not issue a Section 41 notice under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) requiring his appearance for questioning.