New Delhi, Jun 29, 2024, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Jun 29: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on Saturday sent to jail for 14 days under judicial custody in the Delhi liquor policy case being probed by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI).
Kejriwal was earlier brought to the court of special judge Sunena Sharma after his three-day CBI custody ended.
In its remand application, the CBI alleged that 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, 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.
It sought 14 days jail for Kejriwal, saying his incarceration was required "in the interest of the investigation and justice".
Allowing the plea, the special judge said that Kejriwal be produced in the court on July 12. A detailed order from the court was not immediately available.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in connection with irregularities in his government's excise policy. On March 21, he was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped policy. He was granted bail by a trial court that was stayed by the Delhi High Court.
The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa, since he is the convenor of the AAP.
Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have from the start maintained that the Centre has been misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.