The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi has sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody until July 12 in connection with the excise policy case. This decision was made on Saturday by Vacation Judge Sunena Sharma.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought judicial custody, represented by Advocate DP Singh, who argued that Kejriwal had not cooperated with the investigation and provided evasive answers during police custody.
The CBI alleges that Kejriwal did not give satisfactory explanations regarding several key points, including the increase of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5% to 12% under the new Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 without any study or justification.
This policy revision was approved hastily by the Cabinet during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19. Additionally, Kejriwal was accused of being involved in the illegal transfer and use of Rs. 44.54 crores in the Goa Assembly Elections.
During the court proceedings, the CBI claimed that Kejriwal evaded questions about his associate Vijay Nair’s meetings with stakeholders in the liquor business and the alleged demand for illegal gratification for favourable provisions in the new excise policy. The CBI also argued that due to Kejriwal’s prominent position, there is a risk that he could influence witnesses and tamper with evidence.
Kejriwal’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, opposed the remand application, arguing that the CBI had already filed four chargesheets and that the arrest was unnecessary.
He suggested that the CBI's demand for custody was based on the expectation of a confession, which Kejriwal had not provided. Chaudhari also questioned the timing of the arrest, implying that it was strategically delayed until after Kejriwal’s bail order was pronounced.
During the earlier court session, Kejriwal addressed the court, asserting that the CBI's claims of him implicating Manish Sisodia were false and intended to damage their reputations in the media. He insisted that both he and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were innocent.
The court had previously allowed the CBI to interrogate Kejriwal in the courtroom before his formal arrest. The Delhi High Court recently stayed Kejriwal’s bail order from the trial court, emphasising the need for the trial court to record its satisfaction with the conditions of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before granting bail.
This case continues to unfold as the investigation progresses, with Kejriwal’s judicial custody and the CBI’s allegations keeping the situation in the spotlight. The next court hearing is scheduled for July 12, when further developments are expected.
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