New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal returned to the Delhi High Court on Monday, seeking his release from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrest in the excise policy case. Also, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has keen Kejriwal contest a Delhi court’s ruling delivered on June 26 that allowed him to be put in three days of custody.
After the expiry of the first Custodial period, Kejriwal was again put under Judicial custody until July 12 by the Delhi Court as he was claimed to be one of the main conspirators in the Excise policy case. The CBI had requested judicial custody for 14 days, responding that the Former Delhi CM had been evasive and challenging during the procedure. The agency said this because they were afraid that Kejriwal could try to approach some of the witnesses in the case.
Before this, Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering investigation pertaining to the same case of excise policy. His arrest by the CBI was on June 26, after which he was detained by the agency.
A brief description of the court proceedings explains the decision to apply judicial custody for all the accused persons. The court noted that the case involved a large number of accused persons who supposedly worked together to form and implement the alleged criminal excise policy. The idea of having custodial interrogation for Kejriwal was brought out by Special Judge Sunena Sharma, who said this was to be factored in as other evidence that would surface as the investigation unfolded.
The court, in the same ruling, observed the inconsistencies of Kejriwal during interrogation and particularly the revelation of the facts surrounding the case, as noted in the case diary by the IO. The former accused AAP and Kejriwal of displaying corrupt intentions regarding the misuse of illicit funds during the Goa assembly elections for flight and lodging expenses related to June 2021 to February 2022.
The disparagement surrounds what Kejriwal and other AAP leaders took ₹100 crore as bribes from businesspeople and politicians to approve a liquor policy. This policy was later withdrawn due to what was considered licensing malpractices after an investigation had been conducted.
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