During the Delhi Excise policy scam hearing at the Rouse Avenue court, Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, expressed concerns about a perceived political conspiracy aimed at undermining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Kejriwal, the party’s national convener, was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case related to the excise policy.
Kejriwal, while seeking permission to address the court, asserted that his arrest lacked a basis in any specific case. These remarks were made as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) presented him before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja and requested seven more days of custody, citing the need to confront him with individuals associated with the case.
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Here are the statments that Kejriwal said:
- ‘This has been going on for the past 2 years. This case was filed in August 2022: “I have been arrested… Nor has any case been filed against me… Is this enough to arrest the CM? No court has found me guilty… ED and CBI have filed reports running into thousands of pages. Thanks to ED this case has been going on for two years.”
2. ‘ED has filed an over 25,000-page report which has been examined by many witnesses’
3. “I am named by four witnesses in the excise policy case. Are 4 statements enough to arrest a sitting CM?”
4. Kejriwal asked whether this is a proper ground to arrest a Chief Minister. CM said, “There was a statement from Ragunta that he had come to me asking for land, I had said that the land falls within LG purview.”
5. ED then objected to Kejriwal speaking. Taking the objection into cognisance, the court said, “If Kejriwal has anything to say then he should give a written statement to the court.”
6. I am not opposing ED’s remand, it can keep me for as many days as it wants. It’s being alleged that there it was a Rs 100 cr scam…Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the money trail is not yet traced…The motive of ED is to crush the Aam Aadmi Party.
What Did ED Alleged:
The Aam Aadmi Party allegedly received a bribe and utilized it during the Goa elections, according to claims backed by documentation suggesting the money was routed through the Hawala network. Contrary to this, the funds mentioned by Kejriwal regarding BJP have no connection to the liquor scam, and there is no evidence of bribery in this regard.
Kejriwal’s legal representation, employing prominent lawyers for the proceedings, highlights his unique position compared to an average individual who may not have access to such resources. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, questioning the premature discussion of a trial at this stage.
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