Arvind Kejriwal sent to Tihar till April 15; ED says Delhi CM ‘evasive’, may again need custody

Tribune News Service

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, April 1

A Delhi court on Monday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in the alleged liquor policy scam case, taking note of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) submission that the “accused was highly influential and could tamper with evidence, if released”.

Kejriwal was produced in the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after the expiry of his ED custody. Before entering the court, the CM said, “What the PM is doing is not good for the country.”

Lodged in Jail No. 2

• n Kejriwal lodged in Tihar Jail No. 2
• n Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain in Jail No. 1, 5 & 7
• n BRS’ K Kavitha is in Jail No. 6

Kejri’s 5 requests

• Wants medicines provided in jail
• Allowing him to carry 3 books: Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and ‘How Prime Ministers Decide’ by journalist Neerja Chaudhary
• Permission to retain a religious locket that he currently wears
• Home food; table-chair (all granted)

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, told the court that Kejriwal was “non-cooperative” and gave “evasive replies”. Referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Senthil Balaji case, Raju sought his 15-day judicial custody and also submitted that they may require his custody at a later date. The agency had earlier said that he was the “kingpin of the conspiracy”. Kejriwal will be kept in Jail Number 2 in Tihar, the same prison where three other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain, are lodged. While Sisodia and Sanjay, arrested in the same case, are lodged in Jail Number 1 and 5, Jain, who is facing a different money laundering case, is in Jail Number 7. BRS leader K Kavitha is in Jail Number 6.

The ED submitted that Kejriwal was confronted with the statements of different witnesses, approvers and other co-accused who had “revealed his role”. “Kejriwal also stated that Vijay Nair did not report to him, but to Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bhardwaj,” the agency said. Both Delhi ministers have been named for the first time in the case.

Raju maintained that Nair stayed in the CM’s camp office and questioned why would someone who reported to other leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) work from there. In his reply, the CM had claimed unawareness about the persons working in the camp office, the application read.

The agency submitted that Kejriwal did not disclose the password of his digital devices, claimed unawareness about hawala transfers to the tune of Rs 45 crore to fund the Goa election campaign and he also said that his national treasurer ND Gupta was “confused”.

The ED claimed that the Delhi CM told the agency that Gupta, who is AAP Rajya Sabha member, was an “active member of the party as well as a member of its political affairs committee (PAC) and had knowledge of the party’s functioning”. The agency submitted that when he was confronted with Gupta’s statement wherein the latter revealed that the national convener took such decisions, Kejriwal called Gupta “confused”.

Senior advocates Vikram Chaudhary and Ramesh Gupta appearing for the Delhi CM made five requests on Kejriwal’s behalf. These included he be provided medicines in jail, allowing him to carry three books (Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and ‘How Prime Ministers Decide’ by journalist Neerja Chaudhary), retaining a religious locket that he currently wore, a special diet and allowing him a table and chair.

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