New Delhi, March 22 - Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in connection with the Delhi Excise Scam case, has been remanded to 10 days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court. The ED had sought Kejriwal's custody for questioning in the case.
During the hearing, Assistant Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, alleged that Kejriwal was the mastermind behind the liquor policy scam and had been involved in spying on ED officials. Raju claimed that documents seized during a raid at Kejriwal's residence indicated his involvement in bribery, with Vijay Nair acting as a mediator between the South Group and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Raju further stated that Kejriwal, as the national coordinator of the AAP, had orchestrated changes in the excise policy to fund the party's electoral campaign in Goa. He argued that Kejriwal's custodial interrogation was necessary to probe the financial transactions linked to the case.
Responding to the ED's allegations, senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the detention must satisfy the provisions of Section 19 of the Money Laundering Act. Singhvi contended that the ED's application for custody lacked substantial grounds and was primarily a replication of the reasons for arrest.
Kejriwal's arrest came after the Delhi High Court declined to provide him protection from arrest on March 21. The ED arrested Kejriwal following interrogation on the same evening. The case has generated significant attention, with political implications given Kejriwal's position as the Chief Minister of Delhi.
