Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has filed a petition with the Delhi High Court challenging his recent arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Excise Policy case, reports said on Monday.
Kejriwal contests the legality of his arrest and challenges the trial court's decision to remand him to three days of CBI custody, arguing that the decision was unjust.
The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi had earlier sent Kejriwal to judicial custody in relation to the Excise Policy case. The CBI has alleged that during his custody, Kejriwal was uncooperative and provided evasive responses that contradicted available evidence.
According to the CBI, Kejriwal failed to adequately explain the significant increase in wholesalers' profit margins under the new Excise Policy without proper justification, which was implemented hastily during the peak of the second wave of Covid-19. The agency also raised questions about meetings between Kejriwal's associate Vijay Nair and liquor industry stakeholders, alleging demands for illegal gratification.
Furthermore, Kejriwal reportedly evaded questions regarding meetings with individuals connected to India Ahead News and concerning the alleged misuse of funds during the Goa Assembly elections. The CBI has indicated that further custodial interrogation may not be necessary at this stage but has expressed concerns about potential witness tampering and evidence tampering due to Kejriwal's influential position.
The CBI maintains that Kejriwal's behavior suggests deliberate evasion of pertinent questions related to the case, highlighting his influence as a prominent politician and Chief Minister of Delhi as grounds for these concerns.
In light of the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, the CBI said that further custodial interrogation of the accused is not required at this stage. The CBI also emphasized that due to Kejriwal's stature as a prominent politician and Chief Minister of Delhi, there is a credible concern that he may wield influence over witnesses and tamper with evidence already presented during custodial interrogation. Moreover, there are fears that he could potentially interfere with witnesses yet to be examined and hamper the ongoing investigation, the CBI further stated.
