Excise ‘scam’: Delhi court reserves order on CBI plea seeking Kejriwal’s 14-day judicial custody

The CBI on Saturday sought 14 days judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam, saying his incarceration was required in the “interest of the investigation and justice”.

Special Judge Sunena Sharma reserved the order on the plea after Kejriwal was produced in the court on the expiry of his three days police custody.

In its remand application, the CBI said during the custodial interrogation, Kejriwal did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.

“On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5% to 12% under the new excise policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification,” it said.

“He also could not explain as to why during the peak of second wave of Covid, the cabinet approval for revised excise policy was obtained through circulation in a hurried manner within one day, when the accused persons of the South Group were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with his close associate Vijay Nair,” it added.

The application said Kejriwal evaded the questions regarding the meetings of his associate Vijay Nair with various stakeholders of the liquor business in Delhi and he was unable to give proper explanation about his meeting with Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, accused Arjun Pandey and accused Mootha Gautham.

“He also evaded the questions regarding the transfer and utilisation of ill-gotten money to the tune of Rs.44.54 crores in Goa assembly elections by his party during 2021-22,” it said, adding that Kejriwal was “deliberately and intentionally evading the just and relevant questions related to the case.”

“He, being a prominent politician and chief minister of Delhi, is a very influential person, as such, there are credible reasons to believe that, he may influence the witnesses and evidences already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses, who are yet to be examined, tamper with the evidence to be further collected and may hamper the ongoing investigation,” the application said.

As some crucial witnesses were yet to be examined and documents or digital evidence were yet to be collected, the plea sought Kejriwal’s 14 days judicial custody “in the interest of the investigation and justice”.