New Delhi:
The CBI formally arrested Kejriwal on Wednesday in connection with the excise policy scam and requested five days of custody. The Rouse Avenue Court gave 3 days remand
“CBI is defaming me, I am innocent and so is Sisodia”: Kejriwal himself spoke for one minute in the court. During the hearing in Rouse Avenue Court, Arvind Kejriwal himself stood up and said that CBI is planting it in the media that I have put the entire blame on Manish Sisodia. I have not given any such statement. I have said – I am also innocent… Manish Sisodia is also innocent.
After Arvind Kejriwal’s objection, the judge said that Arvind Kejriwal did not give any such statement as the CBI lawyer is claiming. After this Arvind Kejriwal said that I was asked why the liquor policy was made. So I told them (CBI) that there were 3 points.
First- to increase revenue,
second- to reduce the crowd at the shops to maintain law and order and
third- to open liquor shops in the right proportion (equal distribution).
I had instructed Manish Sisodia to keep these three things in mind in the policy.
CBI told the court about the South connection of the case
CBI gave Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest memo to the court during this time. The officials told the court that we have arrested Kejriwal. After this, during the hearing, CBI said, “On March 16, 2021, a liquor businessman was contacted that Kejriwal wanted to meet regarding the liquor policy. On March 20, 2021 K. Kavitha and Magunta Reddy met. Vijay Nair, Communication Incharge of Aam Aadmi Party was asked to coordinate the meeting. Despite the lockdown, a team from the South came to Delhi by private plane. The meeting took place while Corona was at its peak. Bucchi babu gave the report to Vijay Nair and then the file reached Sisodia. The South Group told what Delhi’s liquor policy should be like.
CBI- they have enough evidence in the case
CBI told the court, “LG office had asked for a cabinet meeting regarding the liquor policy which did not happen. We have a money trail, enough evidence. Changes were made in the policy at the behest of South Group. The excise policy was brought at the behest of South Group, fraud was done in the name of public opinion, a fake opinion was created through AAP workers.” CBI said that public suggestions were sought for the policy and those suggestions were tampered with, they were fabricated. We have enough evidence that it was AAP members who were making comments. When this was happening, there were some officers who were not ready to sign, the officer who said that I will not sign was replaced.
During the hearing in Rouse Avenue Court, Arvind Kejriwal said that he was feeling unwell due to falling blood sugar level. After this, the court allowed him to go and sit in another room.
Kejriwal’s lawyer Vikram Chaudhary said that I was granted bail by the lower court on 20 June 2024, why does the CBI need me now? Why were they waiting? They say that they had the material, why did they not come and arrest me earlier? If you accept the statement of the investigating agency, then it will be considered cooperation in the investigation. What kind of argument is this of the CBI? CBI has filed four charge sheets. Now they are arresting Kejriwal and still some people have to be identified through these? Is this a valid reason for arrest?
Whole system trying to ensure Delhi CM doesn’t get bail, this is dictatorship: Sunita Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita on Wednesday alleged the whole system was trying to ensure that her husband does not come out of jail and stressed that all this is akin to “dictatorship” and “emergency”.
However BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that Arvind Kejriwal is arrested by CBI in the case registered by Congress not the BJP. Congress has complained in 2020 to the LG about Liquor scam by AAP government in Delhi.