Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday sent Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the excise policy case.
Kejriwal was brought before the court here by the CBI upon the expiry of the 3-day remand in connection with the corruption case linked to the liquor policy case.
Vacation Judge Sunena Sharma sent the AAP chief to judicial custody till July 12 in connection with the case.
Earlier in the day, the vacation judge while reserving its order on CBI’s application, remarked that upon the expiry of police remand, the court has no option but to send the accused to judicial custody.
Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI while seeking direction to send Arvind Kejriwal into Judicial Custody and alleged that during the police custody remand, the accused Arvind Kejriwal was examined/ interrogated. However, he did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.
On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new Excise Policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification, said CBI.
He also could not explain as to why during the peak of 2nd wave of Covid, the Cabinet approval for a revised Excise Policy was obtained through circulation in a hurried manner within 01 day, when the accused persons of the South Group were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with his close associate Vijay Nair.
He evaded the questions regarding the meetings of his associate Vijay Nair with various stakeholders of the liquor business in Delhi and demanded illegal gratification from them for favorable provisions in the upcoming Excise Policy, the CBI added.
He also evaded questions regarding the transfer and utilization of ill-gotten money to the tune of Rs.44.54 crores in the Goa Assembly Elections by his party during 2021-22, said the CBI.
In the light of aforesaid facts and circumstances, the further custodial interrogation of the accused Arvind Kejriwal is not required at this stage, said the CBI.
The CBI alleged that he was deliberately and intentionally evading the just and relevant questions related to the case. 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 CBI added.
On June 26, CM Kejriwal was sent to the CBI custody for three days by Rouse Avenue Court on the agency’s application seeking custody of the Aam Aadmi Party supremo for interrogation.
Earlier that day, Kejriwal was formally arrested by the CBI when he was produced before vacation judge Amitabh Rawat.
During the hearing of CBI’s remand plea, a vacation bench of Rouse Avenue Court, comprising Justice Amitabh Rawat, stated that the Delhi CM will be produced before the court on June 29 before 7 pm.