In connection with the Delhi liquor policy case being looked into by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was placed under judicial custody and jailed for 14 days. The “interest of investigation and justice” is why the CBI claims that Mr Kejriwal’s custody is required. Special Judge Sunena Sharma had postponed the order bringing Mr Kejriwal before the court earlier today, following his three-day detention by the CBI.
“He also could not explain why during the peak of the second wave of Covid, the cabinet approval for revised excise policy was hurriedly obtained through circulation within one day, when the accused persons of the South Group were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with his close associate Vijay Nair,” according to the CBI.
The central agency said that Mr Kejriwal sidestepped inquiries about his aide Vijay Nair’s contacts with Delhi liquor industry stakeholders. When it came to his meeting with the case’s accused Arjun Pandey, Mootha Gautham, and Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Mr Kejriwal was unable to provide a satisfactory answer.
“He, being a prominent politician and chief minister of Delhi, is a very influential person, as such, there are credible reasons to believe that, he may influence the witnesses and evidence already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses, who are yet to be examined, tamper with the evidence to be further collected and may hamper the ongoing investigation,” the request from the CBI stated.
While drafting the Delhi liquor policy for 2021–2022, Mr Kejriwal was first detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 on suspicion of money laundering. The policy was then cancelled after the Lieutenant Governor voiced concerns. Since Mr Kejriwal is the AAP convenor, the ED has claimed that the money he received from the liquor vendors was utilized to finance the party’s campaign in Goa.
Since the beginning, Mr Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have insisted that the Center is abusing its agencies to persecute the Opposition by filing fictitious charges.
