New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faces mounting legal challenges as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him on Wednesday in connection with a corruption case linked to an alleged excise scam. Kejriwal, who is already in judicial custody due to an Enforcement Directorate (ED) money laundering case related to the same scam, was remanded to three days of CBI custody by a Delhi court following arguments on the agency’s application.
During the hearing, Kejriwal maintained his innocence, addressing the court personally to deny allegations that he had implicated his close aide and former deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, in the liquor policy scandal. He accused the CBI of sensationalizing the issue and making baseless claims of malice.
Special Judge Amitabh Rawat granted the CBI’s application for three days of custody, allowing Kejriwal’s arrest from Tihar Central Jail, where he was held in the ED’s money laundering case. The CBI argued that Kejriwal’s custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the broader conspiracy and confront him with other accused individuals.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the arrest, alleging it was politically motivated, while Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, condemned the legal proceedings as attempts to prevent his release, likening the situation to “dictatorship” and “emergency.”
Kejriwal’s custody under the CBI is pivotal pending further interrogation, which could extend up to 15 days. His legal challenges continue as he faces bail hearings amidst ongoing investigations by both the CBI and ED into the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, initially flagged by the ED in a case that later involved the CBI.
