Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha’s custody has been extended by 14 more days in the Delhi liquor case. The federal probe agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the now-scrapped excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them, in return of kickbacks to the AAP.
Special judge for CBI and ED cases Kaveri Baweja extended custody of the Aam Aadmi Party leader and Kavitha after they were produced before the court through video conference on expiry of their remand. Kavitha is also under judicial custody in the ED case registered in connection with the alleged scam. Recently, the special court reserved orders on Kavitha’s bail plea till May 2.
Kejriwal, arrested by the agency on March 21 after the high court refused to grant him interim protection from coercive action, has also challenged the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act with respect to arrest, questioning and grant of bail.
In the plea, Kejriwal has raised several issues, including whether a political party is covered under the anti-money laundering law. It alleged that the arbitrary procedure under PMLA was being used to create a non-level playing field for the general elections to “skew the electoral process in the favour of the ruling party at the Centre”.
Meanwhile, the CBI had arrested the Telangana MLC and daughter of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao from Tihar Jail, where she was lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged scam.
The CBI is probing alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the AAP government’s excise policy, while the ED is investigating the money laundering aspect.
