New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to jail for 14 days under judicial custody in the Delhi liquor policy case being probed by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI). The CBI said it needs Mr Kejriwal’s custody in the “interest of investigation and justice”.

Earlier today, special judge Sunena Sharma had reserved the order Mr Kejriwal was brought to the court after his three-day CBI custody ended.

In its remand application, the CBI alleged Mr Kejriwal did not cooperate and gave evasive replies.

“On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new excise policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification,” the CBI said.

“He also could not explain as to why during the peak of second wave of Covid, the cabinet approval for revised excise policy was obtained through circulation in a hurried manner within one day, when the accused persons of the South Group were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with his close associate Vijay Nair,” the CBI said.

The central agency alleged Mr Kejriwal evaded questions on meetings of his associate Vijay Nair with stakeholders of the liquor business in Delhi. Mr Kejriwal was unable to give a proper explanation about his meeting with Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, and Arjun Pandey and Mootha Gautham, both accused in the case.

“He, being a prominent politician and chief minister of Delhi, is a very influential person, as such, there are credible reasons to believe that, he may influence the witnesses and evidences already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses, who are yet to be examined, tamper with the evidence to be further collected and may hamper the ongoing investigation,” the CBI application said.

Mr Kejriwal was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags. The ED has alleged the money Mr Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party’s campaign in Goa, since he is the convenor of the AAP.

Mr Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have from the start maintained the Centre has been misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.

Hours before he was set to be released from Tihar Jail, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal suffered a major setback when the Delhi High Court paused his bail order in a corruption case related to the Delhi Liquor Policy. The move came after  Enforcement Directorate challenged Mr Kejriwal’s bail in a new petition.

The ED mentioned its petition challenging the trial court’s bail order for an urgent hearing before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja. The high court said till it heard the petition, the trial court order would not be acted upon. 

The AAP chief had secured bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh albeit with conditions on Thursday, in a relief after he was arrested on March 21. Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued interim bail to Mr Kejriwal to campaign for Lok Sabha elections and he returned to jail on June 2.

Here are the LIVE updates in Arvind Kejriwal’s bail 

“Wrong Facts, Wrong Dates”: Additional Solicitor General SV Raju On Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail

“On wrong facts, wrong dates, you come to a conclusion that mala fide. But why, the reason is missing. My note not considered, not allowed to argue. The arrest was challenged. The remanding court said the arrest was correct. It was challenged before this court. The single judge said nothing wrong with the arrest.”

“High Court Said Arrest Is Correct”: Additional Solicitor General SV Raju On Arvind Kejriwal

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said that the findings of the High Court were not considered by the trial court. The High Court said that the arrest is correct, there is nothing wrong in it.

This decision of the lower court has demolished the decision of the High Court.

“Irrelevant Material” Considered To Grant Bail: Additional Solicitor General SV Raju

“If material irrelevant to grant of bail is considered, the order of bail may be set aside,” he said

WATCH: “Treated Like Most Wanted Terrorist”: Arvind Kejriwal’s Wife On Court Order

देश में तानाशाही इतनी बढ़ गई है कि ED किसी को छूट भी नहीं देना चाहती।

ED अरविंद केजरीवाल जी के साथ देश के Most Wanted आतंकवादी की तरह व्यवहार कर रही है।

अभी तो केजरीवाल जी की जमानत का आदेश Upload भी नहीं हुआ था कि ED Stay लगवाने के लिए High Court पहुँच गई।

लेकिन अभी High… pic.twitter.com/gmxNjeR2Th

– AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 21, 2024