New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday remanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in the money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked for 15 days of judicial custody of Kejriwal citing his non- cooperative behaviour. He was produced in the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after his Enforcement Directorate custody came to an end.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the probe agency in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam, was produced before the city's Rouse Avenue court on Monday as his custody ended.
The ED had sought a seven-day extension of Kejriwal's custody citing the need to further interrogate the Delhi CM. But on March 28, the court extended Kejriwal's ED custody until April 1.
Arvind Kejriwal has been governing Delhi from jail with his wife Sunita Kejriwal passing his orders to the cabinet. Sunita also participated in the Opposition INDIA bloc's 'Loktantra Bachao' rally where she referred to Kejriwal as a 'freedom fighter'. Top opposition leaders present at the rally also pressed for the release of Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, who was arrested by the ED in January.
AAP national convener Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 and subsequently remanded to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) custody by a Delhi court, faces allegations of direct involvement in a conspiracy related to the formulation of the excise policy favoring specific individuals.
After his initial custody ended on March 28, Kejriwal's custody was extended for four more days till April 1 by a local court. He also moved the Delhi High Court stating that his fundamental rights were violated by the ED.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped. In its arguments before the court, the ED alleged that the CM of Delhi is the key conspirator and kingpin in demanding kickbacks from businessmen. The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Excise policy.
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