Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody till April 15 in the liquor policy scam case on Monday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) produced him in a Delhi court as his ED custody ended on Monday.
The probe agency’s demand for judicial custody of Kejriwal. The ED alleged that Kejriwal is answering every question by saying ‘I don’t know’. The probe agency had sought 15-day judicial custody of Kejriwal, saying he was “totally uncooperative”.
Kejriwal has told the Enforcement Directorate that Vijay Nair, who is one of the arrested accused in the alleged liquor scam, used to report to Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, and not to him, ASG SV Raju said in the court on Monday. This was the first time the duo’s names appeared in the case. SV Raju, who appeared for the ED, informed the court that further custodial interrogation, at the moment, was not required.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal moved applications, seeking permission to have a special diet, medicines, books and religious locket which he is wearing while being in judicial custody. The Delhi CM has sought permission to have the following books in judicial custody — Bhagwad geeta, ramayana and How Prime Ministers Decide.
Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, Delhi Ministers – Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi and Gopal Rai were present in the court today. Ahead of the court hearing, Kejriwal targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying whatever the PM is doing is not good for the country.
On the otherhand, the Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit its note to the special judge on the issue of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal passing orders while in custody in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said the special judge, dealing with the money laundering case in which Kejriwal has been arrested, is directed to pass an order, if required, in accordance with the law.
The court disposed of the public interest litigation which sought directions to prevent Kejriwal from issuing orders in his capacity as the chief minister while in the ED’s custody. During the hearing, the ED’s counsel said the agency was seized of the issue raised in the petition.
