Curated By: Sheen Kachroo
News18.com
Last Updated: March 22, 2024, 21:03 IST
New Delhi, India
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing Arvind Kejriwal. (File pic: PTI)
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was remanded in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate by a city court till March 28 late on Friday night.
The verdict by the Rouse Avenue Court came following a hearing during which the Enforcement Directorate said it had concrete evidence that Delhi’s excise policy was changed by the Arvind Kejriwal government to fund the Aam Aadmi Party’s 2022 Goa assembly election campaign.
Delhi chief minister Kejriwal was produced before the court by the ED, hours after the CM withdrew his plea before the Supreme Court against his arrest.
The AAP convener was produced in the Rouse Avenue court around 2 pm amid tight security on and around the premises.
“There is concrete evidence to show there is a scam and fraud. The excise policy was changed to fund Goa elections for AAP,” SV Raju, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) representing ED, told the court.
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Calling Kejriwal the “key conspirator”, the Directorate sought his 10-day custody from the court, which later reserved the order. Zoheb Hossain, the Special Counsel for ED told Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the that Kejriwal received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from the ‘south group’ for formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
“There is sufficient material to come to the conclusion that he is prima facie guilty of the offence,” said the ASG. “He is guilty not just in his personal capacity but even vicariously. We have established that money came through kickbacks for Goa elections.”
ASG Raju also told the court that Kejriwal had requested Rs 100 crore from the accused members of the ‘South Group’ for their participation in the Punjab elections.
According to the law officer, the money trail revealed that the Rs 45 crore “kickback” utilised in the Goa polls came through four hawala networks, adding that the Call Detail Records (CDR) supported the accused’s and witnesses’ allegations.
“We have given an application for 10 days’ remand,” ASG Raju told the court. He said the AAP is not an individual but a company, and every person responsible for the conduct of the company will be held responsible.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, opposed the ED’s plea for remand, contending that statements of witnesses could not be grounds to arrest him because of the pattern it revealed.
“There is a new pattern now. You have a witness, he does not name Kejriwal in statement one or statement two. You then arrest him and oppose his bail vehemently. He then turns approver. And one fine day he gives a brilliant statement,” Singhvi said. “There is no direct evidence except these statements saying I met Mr Kejriwal etc. If people are arrested and pardoned then they will definitely name anyone.”
#WATCH | “Whether I am inside or outside, my life is dedicated to the country,” said arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal as he was produced before Rouse Avenue court by ED following his arrest yesterday.(Video source: AAP) pic.twitter.com/A9YGNlxIGy
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2024
(with inputs from agencies)