During court proceedings on Monday (April 1), ASG SV Raju stated that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed the Enforcement Directorate that Vijay Nair, a key figure in the alleged liquor scam and one of the arrested individuals, reported to Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, rather than to him. Vijay Nair, the former CEO of events company Only Much Louder (OML) and a former member of the Aam Aadmi Party, was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022.
What information did Kejriwal provide to the Enforcement Directorate?
During interrogation, Kejriwal informed the Enforcement Directorate that Vijay Nair didn’t report to him but rather to Atishi. Raju, speaking in the Rouse Avenue Court after Kejriwal’s ED remand ended, conveyed that Kejriwal clarified Nair’s reporting structure, stating that Nair was closer to him but didn’t directly report to him; instead, he reported to Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. This marked the first instance of Atishi and Saurabh’s names being mentioned in court. Both ministers were present in the courtroom when the ED’s lawyer quoted Kejriwal’s statement.
It’s noteworthy that AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia are already in Tihar Jail over alleged involvement in the liquor scam. Kejriwal, the highest-profile leader arrested in AAP, has also been sent to Tihar Jail, joining his party colleagues, with the court ordering 15-day judicial custody until April 15. Satyendar Jain, another party leader, is also in Tihar Jail but in connection with a separate money laundering case.
AAP MP ND Gupta Named Atishi
AAP Rajya Sabha MP ND Gupta implicated Atishi in the Excise Policy case during his statement to the Enforcement Directorate, revealing that she was responsible for overseeing the party’s electoral affairs in Goa.
As Kejriwal’s custody under the Enforcement Directorate concluded on April 1, he was presented before a Delhi court. The investigative agency requested judicial custody for Kejriwal, citing his alleged uncooperative behavior, consistently responding with “I don’t know” to their inquiries. The ED sought a 15-day judicial custody for Kejriwal, asserting his lack of cooperation.
Kejriwal was apprehended on March 21 following his evasion of nine ED summons related to the case. The ED characterized Kejriwal as the central figure in the case and had petitioned for his remand. Initially granted until March 28, his remand was extended until April 1. Subsequently, he was placed in judicial custody.
