Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (File).
New Delhi:
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court docket has reserved its order on custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested final week on corruption fees. Final week Mr Kejriwal was despatched to custody of the arresting company, the Enforcement Directorate, for seven days. That custody ends right this moment, and the probe company has sought an extra seven days to proceed questioning the Aam Aadmi Occasion chief.
Earlier right this moment a defiant Mr Kejriwal rose to handle the court docket immediately, and accused the probe company of making an attempt “to crush” his occasion. Mr Kejriwal identified – because the AAP has since his arrest – no a part of the alleged Rs 100 crore in bribes had been recovered. He additionally mentioned no court docket had discovered him responsible.
“I used to be arrested… however no court docket has proved me responsible. The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has filed 31,000 pages (of chargesheets) and ED filed 25,000 pages. Even when you learn them collectively… the query stays… why have I been arrested?” Mr Kejriwal requested the court docket.
What Arvind Kejriwal Informed The Court docket
Given just some minutes to talk, the AAP chief additionally mentioned his title solely figured 4 occasions in these tens of hundreds of pages, and that a kind of 4 was C Arvind and never Arvind Kejriwal.
C Arvind was ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s secretary, and he has informed the authorities that Mr Sisodia – who was arrested on this case in February – handed over “some paperwork”.
“My title got here simply 4 occasions… and as soon as it was ‘C Arvind’. He mentioned that in his presence Sisodiaji gave me some paperwork. However MLAs got here to my home day by day… to present me information, to debate the federal government. Is a press release like this sufficient to arrest a sitting Chief Minister?” he requested.
The AAP chief had been anticipated to make a giant revelation on this case; final night his spouse, Sunita Kejriwal, declared her husband would supply insights into the placement of the alleged Rs 100 crore.
READ | “He’ll Reveal The place Cash Of So-Referred to as Liquor Rip-off Is”: Kejriwal’s Spouse
In court docket right this moment, Mr Kejriwal referred to the statements of approvers, or authorities witnesses, who had earlier been arrested on this case, suggesting they’d been coerced into accusing him.
“The ED had just one mission – to lure me,” he alleged, “Three statements got (by one witness)… however the court docket solely noticed people who accused me. Why? This isn’t proper.”
One other witness, he mentioned, had given six statements that didn’t title the Chief Minister, however he was launched after a seventh that did so. “If there actually is a rip-off of 100 crore… the place is the cash?”
The Chief Minister additionally referred to a 3rd witness – Sarath Reddy – who he claimed had donated Rs 50 crore to the BJP. “I’ve proof… that they’re working a racket,” he declared.
In a quick however pressing assertion, Mr Kejriwal additionally accused the ED – which the opposition claims is utilized by the Bharatiya Janata Occasion to focus on rivals, notably earlier than elections – had been informed to create a “smokescreen… to permit BJP to run an extortion racket by which they accumulate cash”.
Enforcement Directorate’s Response
To all of this, Further Solicitor Common SV Raju, showing for the ED, counter-accused Mr Kejriwal of “enjoying to the gallery”. “How does he know what number of paperwork are with ED? That is all a figment of his creativeness,” Mr Raju declared.
“AAP obtained kickbacks which they used within the Goa election… there’s a clear-cut chain. We’ve statements and paperwork to indicate cash got here by hawala (unlawful networks),” he mentioned.
“We’ve materials to indicate this very particular person (Mr Kejriwal) demanded Rs 100 crore kickbacks.”
Kejriwal’s Petition To Dismiss Rejected
Late final evening the Delhi Excessive Court docket refused a petition by Mr Kejriwal difficult his arrest within the alleged liquor coverage rip-off. The court docket, as a substitute, issued a discover asking the ED to answer the petition.
READ | No Rapid Reduction From Excessive Court docket, Arvind Kejriwal To Keep In Custody
The probe company time until April 2 to take action. The subsequent listening to on this case is on April 3.
What Is Delhi Liquor Coverage Rip-off?
The Enforcement Directorate believes the now-scrapped liquor coverage supplied an impossibly excessive revenue margin of 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesalers. Of the latter, six per cent – over Rs 600 crore – had been bribes and the cash was allegedly used to fund the AAP’s ballot campaigns.
The ED has labelled the Chief Minister as a key conspirator on this case, however Mr Kejriwal and occasion colleagues arrested on this matter – ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, and former Well being Minister Satyendar Jain – have all denied the costs.
NDTV Explains | Why Did The Enforcement Directorate Arrest Arvind Kejriwal
The AAP and the opposition have hit out on the BJP-led central authorities for utilizing central companies, just like the ED, to focus on rivals and critics earlier than the final election. The AAP has criticised Mr Kejriwal’s arrest on grounds it was timed to intervene together with his plans to marketing campaign for the occasion.
The BJP has dismissed claims it makes use of central companies as described by the opposition.
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