New Delhi: A court here on Wednesday remanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to three-day CBI custody, a day after he was formally arrested by the Central probe agency in a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
Special Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order on an application moved by the CBI. The probe agency formally arrested Kejriwal on Wednesday after getting permission from the court. The Aam Aadmi Party national convener is lodged in prison in an excise policy-linked money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Department (ED).
"CBI application is allowed for three days," the judge said. In the application seeking Kejriwal's custody, the CBI told the court that he was required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy in the matter. It also said that the Delhi chief minister was required to be confronted with evidence and other people accused in the case.
Federal agencies had earlier claimed that a so-called "south lobby" dictated the formulation of the now-scrapped excise policy and that the chief minister was involved in all this.
The arrest comes amid a legal tussle involving multiple cases against him, including allegations of money laundering linked to excise policy.
Earlier, the Supreme Court scheduled a hearing on Kejriwal's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's interim stay in his bail in a money laundering case related to the liquor excise policy. The High Court had raised concerns about procedural lapses in granting bail and directed a re-evaluation, prompting Kejriwal's appeal to the apex court.
The investigation by both the CBI and the ED revolves around the accusation that Kejriwal and other members of AAP received bribes totalling Rs 100 crore from entities within the South Group, allegedly to influence the Delhi excise policy. The probe alleges misuse of funds during the Goa Assembly elections in 2022, implicating Kejriwal in money laundering activities.
The legal proceedings have seen several twists and turns with the HC recently criticising the trial court's handling of bail procedures and ordering a stay pending further review. The defence argued against this decision, claiming lack of substantial evidence linking Kejriwal directly to the purported scam.
In a statement, AAP denounced the arrest as politically motivated, accusing the ruling BJP government of using investigative agencies to target opposition leaders. The party's legal team vowed to challenge the arrest and continue to contest the allegation in court.
