Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday told a court here that he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate without any evidence or charges against him in the excise policy case.

He also said that he was ready to face the remand and did not oppose the same. He requested the court to present some facts about the entire matter to which the ED initially opposed. However, Kejriwal’s counsel quoted section 313 and apprised that he can give his statement and court can allow, as there is a provision, and court allowed the same.

Advertisement

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj while addressing a press conference said that Kejriwal in his submission to the court said that the case was going on for two years, and he has now been arrested despite no court declaring him guilty of anything.

Kejriwal further told the court that so far the CBI has filed 31,000 pages charge sheet in the case and 294 witnesses have been examined, while the ED has examined 162 witnesses and filed 25,000 pages, and further asked as to why he was arrested after combining all these.

Kejriwal further put before the court that out of everything presented before the court, only four statements mentioned his name. These include the statement of Manish Sisodia’s assistant C Arvind, who said a document was given by him in the CM’s presence. Kejriwal said a lot of people come to meet him at his residence and they talk with each other, and questioned whether this was sufficient to arrest him.

On the second statement which was of Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MSR), Delhi CM said that he had met him with regard to establish his family trust in Delhi, to which Delhi CM said that the land was under LG and he can leave an application which CM will send to LG.

Kejriwal further informed that later his son was arrested and after five months when he broke down and changed statements, son got bail in the case, Kejriwal claimed.

Bharadwaj further said that talking of fourth statement of the approver Sarath Chandra Reddy, Kejriwal told court that searches took place at his place and he was later arrested and at that time he did not say anything against Kejriwal. Reddy was put behind bars for 6 months and Delhi CM claimed that he broke down and said that he had gone to meet Kejriwal with one Vijay Nair.

Kejriwal further questioned that he wanted to know whether such statements are enough to arrest a sitting chief minister, and what about those statements, which were not against him, why were they not presented before the court, the CM questioned further.

“I am named by four witnesses in the excise policy case. Are 4 statements enough to arrest a sitting CM? A smokescreen of the Aam Aadmi Party being corrupt has been created in front of the nation,” he said and added that he is ready to face an ED probe.

The AAP national convener was arrested by the ED in the case on March 21 and subsequently he was sent to remand till March 28 by the court, which has now been extended upto April 1 by the trial court on Thursday.

According to Bharadwaj, Delhi CM further claimed that ED’s purpose is to crush the AAP, further stating that Sharath Reddy got bail due to 2 things, first giving statements against Kejriwal and then buying Rs 55 crore electoral bonds, and donating them to BJP, which proves the money trail too, the Delhi CM claimed.

Meanwhile, at the time when he was being taken to the courtroom, Kejriwal in a reply to a reporter over LG remarks on Wednesday saying that the government cannot run from jail, Kejriwal said, “it is a political conspiracy and the public will give an apt reply.”

Bharadwaj also expressed concerns about Delhi CM’s health, and over a question regarding the same said that he spoke to Mrs Kejriwal who has said that CM’s sugar levels were low, and for a diabetic this could be very dangerous.