Dainik Nation News Portal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been remanded to judicial custody until April 15 by a Delhi court in connection with the scrapped 2021-22 excise policy. This makes him the fourth prominent lawmaker from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to be sent to Tihar Jail just three weeks before the general elections.
During the court proceedings before special judge Kaveri Baweja, the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) questioning shed light on Vijay Nair’s role. Nair, a key figure in the case, allegedly facilitated illicit activities in the liquor industry and had connections with Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
The judge considered the ED’s argument that releasing Kejriwal could hinder the investigation. The court ordered his judicial custody until April 15, stating that further interrogation might be necessary later.
AAP has claimed that Kejriwal’s arrest is part of a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ED to hinder the party’s performance in the upcoming elections.
Kejriwal was moved to ward No. 4 in Tihar’s jail No. 2, where he was permitted to have several books, including religious texts like the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. He was also allowed home-cooked food.
Currently, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Satyender Jain are also in Tihar Jail.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, following the Delhi High Court’s denial of interim protection. This event caused political upheaval in the Capital and intensified the conflict between the Union government and AAP. The party has maintained that Kejriwal will continue as CM despite being in jail.
ED’s allegations against Nair, the former head of AAP’s media and communications department, included close ties with Kejriwal. Kejriwal stated that Nair reported to other AAP leaders, not to him.
ED presented evidence of Nair’s meetings with liquor industry stakeholders, alleging hawala transfers of approximately ₹45 crore and implicating AAP’s involvement in the 2022 Goa assembly polls.
Kejriwal was accused of providing false evidence regarding AAP’s internal functioning and dismissing contradictions in party leaders’ statements. ED maintained that Nair orchestrated kickbacks and received funds from the “South Group”.
AAP criticized the ED and BJP, alleging a conspiracy against Kejriwal. AAP leader Jasmine Shah accused them of aiming to put Kejriwal in jail to hinder his campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva remarked that Kejriwal’s statements implicating Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj could tarnish their political futures and pave the way for his wife to become the next CM.
