In a massive development, a Delhi court on Friday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till March 28, a day after his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
Reportedly, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the Rouse Avenue court said that Kejriwal will be produced before the court on March 28 at 2 p.m.
During the proceedings, ED told a special PMLA court that Arvind Kejriwal is kingpin and key conspirator of Delhi liquor scam in collusion with his ministers, AAP leaders.Arvind Kejriwal “took advantage” of being the chief minister of Delhi to facilitate money laundering by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is a “major beneficiary” of the proceeds of crimes generated in the alleged liquor scam case, the ED claimed.
“Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of NCT of Delhi is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi Excise scam in collusion with ministers of Delhi government, AAP leaders and other persons,” the federal agency informed a special PMLA court while seeking his custody.
It claimed in its remand papers that “Arvind Kejriwal was involved in the conspiracy of formulation of the excise policy 2021-22 to favour certain persons and also involved in the demanding of kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange of favours granting in the said policy.”Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, sought a 10-day remand of Kejriwal in the trial court. The investigating agency informed the court that Kejriwal was the key conspirators in the liquor scam, in addition to another ministers and leaders of AAP.”Kejriwal acted as the middleman between the ‘South group’ and the accused in the liquor scam,” the ED has alleged. Kejriwal received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from this group for formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy, ED has alleged.
Ahead of the Punjab elections, Kejriwal had demanded Rs 100 crore from some accused from the South group, ED claimed.
“AAP is not an individual, but a company. So every person responsible for conduct of a company will be held responsible,” ED alleged in the court.
Raju submitted that the proceeds of crime are not only just Rs 100 crore. “Hawala trails of Rs 45 crores traced, the money was used in Goa election,” ASG said.
The ED counsel claimed that Vijay Nair, who was the media in charge of AAP, was working for Delhi CM Kejriwal. Nair, who the agency said lives adjacent to the residence of Kejriwal and acted as a middleman between the AAP and the ‘South Group’.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal opposed the remand plea and submitted that the agency needs to show the necessity to arrest. Singhvi argued that the power of arrest and the necessity of arrest are two different things.
Singhvi said that in the history of 75 years of independence this is the first time a sitting chief minister is arrested, the first time four leaders of his party are arrested. Singhvi further said it’s like having the result before the first vote is cast.