The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to three days CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case. Vacation Judge Amitabh Rawat after taking note of all the submissions of both sides, allowed Arvind Kejriwal to be on CBI remand till June 29, 2024.
During the remand period, the court has allowed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes. The court has also allowed him to carry his prescribed medicines during the remand period.
Home-cooked food is also allowed during the remand period, the court said. During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal himself addressed the court and said, “CBI is claiming that I have made a statement against Manish Sisodia, which is completely false. Manish Sisodia Nirdosh hai, Aam Aadmi Party Nirdosh hai. Main bhi nirdosh hun. Iss Tarah ke statements hamme media me badnam Karne ke liye diye ja rahe hai (Manish Sisodia is innocent, Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am also innocent. statements are being given in the media to defame us.)”
He also added that “CBI sources ke hawale se media me hamme badnam kar rahe rahe hai. Inka plan hai ki media front page ye chala de ki Kejriwal ne sara thikra Manish Sisodia pe daal diya. (They are tarnishing our image in the media by using unnamed sources. Their plan is to make it headline news that Kejriwal has shifted all the blame to Manish Sisodia.)”
However, the Court on this said,” apki statement maine pad liya hai… apne aisa nahi bola hai. (I have read your statement… you have not said this.)” Appearing for CBI, DP Singh submitted that there are certain dates…I got permission under PC Act on April 23, 2024, and since the election were on and then he was on interim bail, we refrained from investigating him, said DP Singh for CBI. Vijay Nair a close confidant of CM, the media incharge of AAP is given the responsibility to coordinate.
CBI counsel further alleged that on May 25, 2021, policy was notified. Before this first attempt was made to meet liquor baron. Policy wasn’t yet notified. But the process of finding suitors started? K Kavitha and Magunta Reddy met together and again in March 2021 itself, K Kavitha calls Reddy and then met. Even though lockdown happened, these meetings started and on a private flight, a team from the South came to Delhi during prime COVID. Boinpally sends a report through Nair to Sisodia…C Arvind, the Secy of Sisodia, types the report and it was given in his camp office (CM), said the CBI in court.
The GoM report was prepared by the South Group, the said report goes to the LG office. Four chargesheets have been filed, 17 accused persons, we’re almost at the conclusion of the investigation, said CBI
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari appeared for Arvind Kejriwal opposing the remand application moved by CBI. He said CBI has filed four chargesheets till now and now arresting Arvind Kejriwal and it still have to identify some persons through Arvind Kejriwal? Is this a valid reason for arrest?
Kejriwal’s lawyer further added that, according to CBI Arvind Kejriwal gave evasive replies during his examine/Interrogation in Tihar jail. The investigation officer of the case called it evasive because the only reply they want is Kejriwal’s admission of guilt.
Chaudhri questions the timing of the arrest. They were waiting for the pronouncement of Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order. They could’ve arrested Kejriwal on June 2 when he surrendered. The materials must be perused by the Court before granting them (the CBI) the custody of Kejriwal.
On Tuesday, the CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal after the Vacation Judge of the Delhi Court allowed CBI to examine/interrogate him in the courtroom so that the agency could proceed with his formal arrest.
The court also asked the CBI to place on record the material that they have for his arrest. Kejriwal was produced today before the court of vacation judge Amitabh Rawat in compliance of the production warrant issued by the court yesterday.
During the hearing, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Dilip Pandey were present in the courtroom. CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor, DP Singh, extensively argued and opposed submissions by Kejriwal’s lawyer.
The advocate also moved an application seeking a supply of applications for interrogation by CBI and the order passed related to that. Yesterday, Kejriwal was in Tihar Jail and recorded his statement related to the Excise Policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an Excise Policy money laundering case on March 21 this year and is presently in Judicial Custody in the case.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of Section 45 of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.
The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court.
On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively reserve orders on the ED’s application to stay the bail order and it halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order. (With inputs from ANI)
