Excise 'scam': Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal remanded to judicial custody until July 12

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday remanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody until July 12 in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

Special Judge Sunena Sharma of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after Kejriwal's three-day CBI custody expired. 

The CBI requested 14 days judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam, saying his incarceration was required in the "interest of the investigation and justice".

In its remand application, the CBI said during the custodial interrogation, Kejriwal did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.

"On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5% to 12% under the new excise policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification," it said.

"He also could not explain why during the peak of the second wave of Covid, the cabinet approval for revised excise policy was obtained through circulation in a hurried manner within one day, when the accused persons of the South Group were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with his close associate Vijay Nair," it added.

The application said Kejriwal evaded the questions regarding the meetings of his associate Vijay Nair with various stakeholders of the liquor business in Delhi and he was unable to give proper explanation about his meeting with Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, accused Arjun Pandey and accused Mootha Gautham.

"He also evaded the questions regarding the transfer and utilisation of ill-gotten money to the tune of Rs.44.54 crores in Goa assembly elections by his party during 2021-22," it said, adding that Kejriwal was "deliberately and intentionally evading the just and relevant questions related to the case."

"He, being a prominent politician and chief minister of Delhi, is a very influential person, as such, there are credible reasons to believe that, he may influence the witnesses and evidences already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses, who are yet to be examined, tamper with the evidence to be further collected and may hamper the ongoing investigation," the application said.

Kejriwal was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 over money laundering allegations related to the 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy, which was later scrapped after concerns from the Lieutenant Governor. The ED claims the money received from liquor sellers was used to fund AAP's campaign in Goa.

Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have consistently asserted that the Centre is misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.