LIVE | Delhi court sends Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28
The central agency said Kejriwal was the ‘kingpin’ of the scam and was directly involved in use of proceeds of crime in AAP's Goa election campaign in 2022
A Delhi court on Friday (March 22) sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28.
The Enforcement Directorate, seeking his 10-day custody, earlier said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was a "key conspirator" in the liquor scam case along with other ministers and AAP leaders, as it sought his 10-day custody from a court in New Delhi.
The ED told Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the Rouse Avenue court that Kejriwal received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from the 'South group' for formulating and implementing Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
He demanded Rs 100 crore from some accused from 'South group' for contesting the Punjab elections, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who is appearing for the agency, told the court.
The law officer said the money trail showed that Rs 45 crore "kickback" used in Goa elections came from four hawala routes.
He said the statements of the accused and witnesses have been corroborated by Call Detail Records (CDR).
ASG SV Raju is appearing for the agency, while Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing Kejriwal.
Kejriwal was produced in the trial court shortly after he withdrew from the Supreme Court his plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
Kejriwal's counsel said he would contest the remand proceedings before the trial court and then come back to the apex court with another petition.
Plea withdrawn
Earlier, Kejriwal withdrew from Supreme Court his plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, told the Supreme Court that Kejriwal was withdrawing the petition as it was clashing with the remand. Singhvi said he would file a fresh plea with the Court Registry, challenging the remand.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was on Friday set to hear Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the ED in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case.
Kejriwal had moved the Supreme Court late Thursday after the ED arrested him and took him to the agency's headquarters.
What happened on Thursday
The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to protect the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
The 55-year-old leader's arrest, amid campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, drew angry reactions from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party said Kejriwal "will continue as the chief minister of Delhi. If need be, he will run the government from jail." The BJP though demanded that Kejriwal step down as chief minister on moral grounds.
The AAP has called nationwide protest on Friday against the arrest.
In a day of fast-paced developments, a 10-member ED team led by an additional director reached his official residence on Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines in the national capital soon after the high court order and carried out searches. He was arrested more than two hours after the ED team arrived at his residence, officials said.
They said the federal agency later took Kejriwal to its office in central Delhi. This is the 16th arrest in the case by the ED. Officials said the ED would produce the chief minister before a special court on Friday and seek his custody for interrogation in the case.
The ED has filed a total of six charge sheets in this case till now and attached assets worth over Rs 128 crore.
What ED says
The ED and the CBI had alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy to grant licenses to liquor traders allowed cartelization and favored certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the irregularities in its formulation and implementation.
Kejriwal had skipped nine summonses issued by the agency for questioning in the case, the latest being for Thursday, March 21. He has called these summonses "illegal".
As the ED officials carried out their action inside, additional Delhi Police personnel and Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CRPF teams were deployed around the chief minister's residence.
Sources said that additional deployment was made as the ED sought extra security measures in anticipation of protests by AAP supporters.
Live Updates
- 22 March 2024 3:38 PM IST
AAP accuses Mumbai police of high-handedness
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the Mumbai police of high-handedness while they were protesting in the early hours against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
AAP’s Maharashtra president Preeti Sharma Menon said their workers were shoved and beaten and women were detained in the night. She alleged some of the workers were even punched. “During the protest, several AAP members were hit and shoved by police officers. Our leader, Aslam Merchant, was punched in the nose by an inspector, resulting in severe bleeding. Furthermore, our members were shifted from police station to police station and finally dumped in Azad Maidan without adequate facilities, such as light, fans, chairs, or toilets,” she said. Ten AAP leaders were detained at MRA Marg police station, she said, adding that all were later discharged by the court.
- 22 March 2024 3:36 PM IST
AAP stands rock solid behind Kejriwal; he will emerge a bigger leader: Punjab CM Mann
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday met the family of his Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and said the party stood rock solid behind him.
Mann, addressing a press conference, called Kejriwal a patriot and added he will emerge from this episode a bigger leader. Kejriwal is not just an individual but an idea, he said.
The Punjab chief minister lashed at the BJP and the prime minister, alleging they were pursuing "dictatorship" and did not want any opposition leader to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. "Where is democracy in this country? In Russia, (Vladimir) Putin got 88 per cent votes. They are following Putin's path," Mann said, referring to the recent presidential poll in Russia.
Mann said he will continue to attend the meetings of the opposition bloc INDIA as he used to do along with Kejriwal in the past. The INDIA bloc stands strong in this hour and in the coming days, "we will meet EC (Election Commission) and hold joint events", he said.
- 22 March 2024 3:33 PM IST
Public will teach a lesson to BJP: Akhilesh on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday slammed the BJP for the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying they can put leaders in jail but not the public which will teach them a lesson.
"Sending the chief minister to jail and controlling news will not help them as they are weakening democracy and suppressing the voice of those who want to raise the truth," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters after meeting senior party leader Azam Khan who is lodged in a jail here.
"They (BJP) can send as many leaders to jail as possible but will not be able to send the public to jail," Yadav said, adding time is the biggest factor and when time comes it will teach them a lesson. He also accused the BJP of having a 'brahmand record" (universe) of getting fake cases filed.
- 22 March 2024 3:32 PM IST
AAP workers hit streets against Kejriwal's arrest
Raising slogans "Arvind tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare sath hain" and "tyranny won't last", hundreds of AAP leaders and workers on Friday hit the streets to protest against the BJP over Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, with AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and others being detained.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday evening. There was a sea of khaki and blue outside the AAP headquarters on the Rouse Avenue Road in Central Delhi as multiple layers of barricades and a large number of security personnel were deployed to thwart party leaders and workers from marching towards the BJP headquarters.
Several protestors were bungled into buses as they gathered at the ITO intersection around 10.30 am to proceed towards the BJP office on the DDU Marg.
Paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were also deployed to maintain law and order.
Many AAP workers lay down on the road to resist the police's attempts to detain them. Women police personnel were seen dragging female protesters, many of whom were demonstrating carrying pictures of Kejriwal.
According to police, more than 50 protestors have been detained so far and taken to various police stations located far away from Central Delhi.
- 22 March 2024 3:30 PM IST
AAP protest: DMRC shuts Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced closure of Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station in view of AAP's protest on Friday, officials said.
The road is where the prime minister's residence is. The transporter shut down the station following the directions of police.
Earlier in the day, DMRC announced closure of ITO Metro Station from 8 am to 6 pm. "On advice of Delhi Police, Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station will also remain closed in addition to ITO Metro station till further notice," the DMRC posted on X.
- 22 March 2024 3:28 PM IST
BJP targeting Opposition leaders: CPI
“Our party CPI strongly condemns the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He has been arrested after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections schedule. The BJP is using the central agencies to promote its own political interests. Instead of talking about people’s livelihood in the country, the BJP is targeting opposition leaders,” says CPI general secretary D Raja
- 22 March 2024 3:22 PM IST
BJP resorts to maximum hate speech: Punjab CM
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann says, "...BJP indulges in the maximum hate speech in the country... They have stopped the funds of the National Health Mission for AAP's Mohalla clinics... How dare they stop Punjab's tableau and celebrate Republic Day with Punjab's participation... If it was in their control, they would remove the name of Punjab from the National Anthem... They want no opposition leaders to be able to campaign for the upcoming elections... He is walking in the footsteps of Vladimir Putin. This is a dictatorship..."
