New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought a seven-day extension of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s custodial remand at the Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The court has reserved its order.
The ED moved a remand application stating that they require Kejriwal’s further custodial interrogation to confront him with some other people.
The statements of some Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa candidates are being recorded, the ED said.
The ED represented by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, further submitted that Kejriwal’s statements have been recorded, to which he gave evasive replies. He is deliberately not cooperating with us, the ASG said. The ED showed the statement recorded during custodial interrogation to the court.
SV Raju said before the court that during custody, Kejriwal did not disclose any password and hence it does not have access to digital data.
The Delhi Chief Minister also made a statement before the Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday.
“CBI lodged an FIR on August 17, 2022, ED lodged ECIR on August 22, 2022…,” Kejriwal said. “I was arrested, but no court has proven me guilty yet. CBI filed 31,000 pages and ED has filed 25,000 pages related to this matter. Even if you read them together, I would like to ask why have I been arrested? My name came to light only in four statements of four people,” the Chief Minister said.
“Are these four statements made by different people sufficient to arrest a sitting Chief Minister?” he asked. (ANI) Kejriwal referred to the statements of C Arvind, Raghav Magunta and his father and Sharath Reddy.
Kejriwal alleged out that people are being turned approver in the case and people are being forced to change their statements. He claimed that there is political conspiracy behind his arrest.
“You may keep me in remand as long as you like…I am ready for investigation,” the Delhi Chief Minister said. Meanwhile, the ED said that they have to break open the passwords if Kejriwal decides not to share the passwords.
“He has not disclosed the passwords so we do not have access to digital data. He says he will speak to his lawyers and then decide whether the passwords are to be given or not. If he does not we will have to break open the passwords,” the ED said.
“It’s being alleged that 100 crore was in Liquor scam…Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the money trail is not yet traced,” Kejriwal said.
“The real liquor scam begins post the ED investigation. The motive of the ED is to crush the Aam Aadmi Party,” he said.
“If it’s the stage of investigation, how can there be conviction? how is this relevant?” ASG Raju said appearing for ED questioned.
The ED also argued that apart from personal involvement, being the AAP convenor, the money was speant in AAP campaigns in Goa. The ED said that there are several statements and a Chief Minister is not above law.
Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta who appeared for Kejriwal, opposed the remand plea of the ED.
#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s remand hearing in Delhi court, his lawyer Ramesh Gupta says, “Mr Kejriwal conceded that he is ready to cooperate and he has no objection to being in custody. We told the court that we oppose the grounds on which remand is being sought. The… pic.twitter.com/EkgHiadUhb
— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2024
Kejriwal’s legal team also asked the Court to direct ED to investigate the link between of one of the accused who gave bribes to the BJP and got bail.
