The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday formally arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
Following the central probe agency’s action, the Delhi CM withdrew his petition filed before the Supreme Court, challenging Delhi High Court’s stay on the bail granted to him by a lower court in the liquor policy linked money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
After being arrested by the CBI, Kejriwal was unlikely to be released from jail even if the top court granted him bail, and this is probably why he chose to withdraw his petition, a hearing for which was underway in the top court.
The Delhi CM has been lodged in Tihar Jail since March 21 when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, also linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
The CBI has filed a separate case over the alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
The central probe agency has claimed that the so-called ‘South Lobby’ dictated the formulation of the excise policy and that the chief minister was involved in all this.
“The evidence shows that the South Group dictated the formulation of the policy. Even before the policy was officially announced, efforts began to identify beneficiaries aligned with it, Public Prosecutor DP Singh, representing the CBI, claimed.
He further stated that the notification process was rushed and no formal meetings were convened and CM Kejriwal was leading these efforts.
Singh also claimed that the agency has traced the precise trail of Rs 45 crore allegedly used in the Goa assembly elections by the Aam Aadmi Party.
Meanwhile, the AAP has claimed it is yet another “conspiracy hatched by the BJP at a time when there were high chances of the Supreme Court granting bail to Kejriwal.”
In a video statement released on Tuesday night, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP has hatched a conspiracy with CBI officers to frame Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in a “fake case”.