(Image source from: Ahmedabadmirror.com)
A Delhi court on Saturday reserved its verdict on the CBI's custody application for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after three days of custodial interrogation. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by a central agency in connection with the liquor case on Wednesday and produced before the Rouse Street Court. The CBI had earlier granted Kejriwal three-day remand, arguing that his detention was necessary to provide evidence in the case. Kejriwal also drew links with former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and claimed that the idea of privatization was his. The AAP president's lawyer Vikram Chaudhary opposed the CBI's arrest request, terming it an abuse of power and demanding access to the documents. During the hearing, Kejriwal himself addressed the court and maintained his innocence and that of other AAP leaders, including deputy Manish Sisodia. He accused the CBI of manipulating media headlines to falsely report his involvement and denied Sisodia's responsibility.
Kejriwal is currently lodged in Tihar Jail for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Delhi Liquor Policy case involves alleged irregularities such as changing excise policy for 2021-22, giving unfair preferential treatment to license holders and extending L-1 license without prior approval. The CBI is investigating the corruption allegations while the ED is investigating the money laundering allegations. In July 2022, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena had ordered a CBI probe into the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's excise policy for 2021-2022, based on an assessment report prepared by Chief Minister Naresh. Kumar.
Following the Home Ministry's directive to investigate the matter, the CBI had registered a case against Manish Sisodia, three Delhi government employees, 10 liquor license holders and other unidentified persons in August 2022. According to the central bank's FIR, the named accused were involved in "recommendations and decisions relating to the excise policy for 2021-22 without the consent of the competent authority with an intention to give unfair advantage to the license holders after the tender".
