Excise 'scam': Delhi court sends Kejriwal to judicial custody till July 12
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday sent chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till July 12 in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam, saying his name has surfaced as one of the "main conspirators" and as the investigation is still in progress, his further custodial interrogation will likely be required.
Mr Kejriwal was produced in court by the CBI after the end of his three-day custodial interrogation, following which the probe agency sought 14-day judicial custody while claiming that the AAP chief did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies.
The agency, in its remand plea, also expressed apprehension that he may influence witnesses and evidence already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses who are yet to be examined.
Mr Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar jail, where he was in judicial custody, in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
"Considering the fact that the conspiracy alleged against the accused (Mr Kejriwal) involves a large number of persons who were involved in the formulation and implementation of excise policy and also the persons who acted as facilitators in the use of ill-gotten money, I find that there exist sufficient grounds for remanding the accused to judicial custody'," special judge Sunena Sharma said.
"...The investigation is still in progress and may require custodial interrogation of the accused to confront him with more material likely to be collected during the course of the investigation. Accordingly, accused (Mr Kejriwal) is remanded to judicial custody till July 12," the judge added.
Noting the evidence before it, the court said that the investigation revealed that accused Vijay Nair, a close associate of Mr Kejriwal, was the media-in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party and he had contacted various liquor manufacturers and traders, demanding undue gratification for the incorporation of provisions favourable to them in the excise policy for 2021-22.
The court also noted that Mr Kejriwal's name surfaced as one of the "main conspirators of the criminal conspiracy" for various offences under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code. "Four chargesheets in the case have already been filed against 17 accused persons, including the persons of the South group," the court noted.
It said that the investigating officer had pointed out in the case diary that Mr Kejriwal was not cooperative during his custodial interrogation, nor was he truthful in disclosing facts on many material aspects.
