The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the Delhi Chief Minister for his role in the recent case of Delhi Excise Policy on Tuesday. He was taken to Tihar jail for further investigation after his arrest, the reports claimed.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recently accused the BJP-led central government of plotting to arrest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. The accusations come just before the Supreme Court is set to hear Kejriwal’s bail plea in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering case.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) might fabricate a case against Kejriwal to facilitate his arrest. “At a time when there is a cent per cent possibility that Arvind Kejriwal will get bail from the Supreme Court, sources have informed me that the Centre is conspiring to register a fake CBI case against the Delhi CM and get him arrested by the CBI. The entire nation can see this and is standing in solidarity with Arvind Kejriwal,” Singh asserted in a press conference on Tuesday.
केंद्र की भाजपा सरकार ने सीबीआई के साथ मिलकर रची बड़ी साज़िश! pic.twitter.com/C6OLNLA6bQ
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) June 25, 2024
The CBI had, earlier this week, sought permission to interrogate Kejriwal in Tihar Jail, where he was examined by CBI officials on Monday following which they engaged with the Delhi CM In the a rigorous questioning after which they recorded his statement as part of their interrogation in the case.
Further, the CBI also had sought permission to present the CM before the concerned trial court. It is schedule that Kejriwal will appear in the court on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the CBI moved an application before a special court seeking production warrants for Kejriwal, citing new evidence against him. The court had also reportedly issued the warrants resulting in Kejriwal scheduled appearance before the court on Wednesday.
In a related development, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed a trial court’s order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The High Court criticized the trial court’s decision, stating that it “reflects perversity” and that the lower court did not “appropriately appreciate” the material that was presented by the Enforcement Directorate.
The trial court had initially granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20, ordering his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. This decision came in the context of the alleged irregularities and corruption in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy, which was scrapped in 2022 following an order for a CBI probe by the lieutenant governor.
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Both the CBI and the ED have alleged that modifications to the excise policy involved irregularities and undue favors extended to license holders. The ongoing investigations in the case have led to a series of several high-profile arrests and legal battles, with Kejriwal’s case being one of the most politically charged.
The AAP has repeatedly accused the central government of using investigative agencies to target its leaders and undermine the Delhi government.
