Kejriwal Will Continue As CM: AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj

Amid continuing protests against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader and minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Saturday said all party MLAs and the councilors arrived at a consensus following consultations that the former will continue to hold the reins of the national capital despite being in ED custody.

Kejriwal, who was arrested on Thursday night, was sent to the custody of the Directorate of Enforcement till March 28 by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, on Friday, for alleged money laundering in connection with the excise policy ‘scam’.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Bhardwaj, who was detained along with fellow minister Atishi while leading an AAP protest in the national capital against Kejriwal’s arrest on Friday, said, “Arvind Kejriwal will do whatever people want. He has always made his decisions in public interest and considering the greater good. Before making this decision (to run the affairs of Delhi from ED custody, he got in touch with all his MLAs, held meetings, and met the councilors. We also spoke with people in all wards. Everyone said Arvind Kejriwal should continue as the CM, as there is no rule that stops him from running the government from jail (ED custody).”

On the ongoing raids by ED at the premises of sitting MLA Gulab Singh Yadav, Bhardwaj claims the action was merely aimed at scaring the Opposition into silence.

Accusing the BJP-led Centre of putting the entire Opposition behind bars, the AAP leader said, “People not just in the country but across the world are seeing how the BJP-led government at the Centre is busy putting the entire Opposition in jail. This country is following in the path of Russia (referring to alleged suppression of Opposition leaders in the country). Such occurrences are also commonplace in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and North Korea. Now, India is following in the same path. The largest democracy in the world is now drifting towards dictatorship, where the basic rights of people are denied and the Opposition is muzzled and suppressed.”

“Our top 4 leaders (Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh) are in jail under false cases. Gulab Singh Yadav, our party in-charge of Gujarat, a state where are fielding candidates to contest the Lok Sabha polls, is being raided today. I know that in the coming days, more AAP leaders as well as those from other parties will be raided till the entire Opposition is scared into silence,” he added.

The ED raids were underway at the residence of the AAP MLA, Gulab Singh Yadav, from Delhi’s Matiala seat.

The comes two days after the central agency arrested Delhi CM Kejriwal, in the excise policy case.

Meanwhile, ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM Kejriwal until March 28, has alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged excise policy scam.

ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM Kejriwal until March 28, has alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged excise policy scam.

“Part of the proceeds of crime to the tune of cash of Rs 45 crore approx. has been utilised in the election campaign of AAP in Goa Assembly elections 2022,” the ED alleged.

The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Excise policy.

“Arvind Kejriwal has also been intrinsically involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi liquor Scam wherein the policy was drafted and implemented in a manner wherein certain private persons were favoured and benefitted in a quid pro quo of receiving kickbacks,” the probe agency said in its remand note.

ED also claimed that due to the actions of Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.

Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency after he skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal.”

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped. (ANI)

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Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha elections

Raghav Refers Chandigarh Mayoral Unconstitutional

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha on Tuesday termed the Chandigarh mayoral polls as “unconstitutional and illegal” while calling it an act of “deshdroh” (treason) and demanded action against the presiding officer and a criminal case against him.

He accused the BJP of “orchestrating” the hijacking of the polling after sensing its defeat in the election.

Raghav said first the presiding officer was made to fall ill and later BJP appointed its minority wing leader Anil Masih as the presiding officer.

“Victory of our alliance was certain, but sensing imminent defeat, the BJP hatched conspiracies. First, the presiding officer, who was to conduct polls on January 18, was made to fall ill. Thereafter an attempt was made to buy councillors of the AAP. When BJP’s ‘operation lotus’ failed, then they did fraud (in the mayoral polls),” said Chadha.

“BJP’s presiding officer did not allow any election agent of any party to come forward during counting of votes. Whenever counting takes place, election agents of parties are allowed to come. Then after the BJP’s presiding officer inked the ballot paper using his pen and then declared them invalid during the counting of votes,” he added further.

“It’s happened for the first time in the history of Chandigarh mayoral polls that, 8 of 36 votes were declared invalid,” said Raghav as he demanded an FIR against the presiding officer.

Chadha also talked of approaching the high court, seeking to set aside Tuesday’s “electoral fraud” and demanding action. He also said, “Otherwise people of this nation will lose faith in democracy”.

BJP’s Manoj Sonkar won the Chandigarh mayoral elections on Tuesday, the first election battle against the INDIA bloc by defeating the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Kuldeep Kumar.

Meanwhile, BJP secured 16 votes for its mayor candidate Manoj Sonkar and Kuldeep Singh, the joint candidate of Congress and AAP was able to manage 12 votes. 8 votes were declared invalid. (ANI)

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AAP leader Satyendar Jain

SC Extends Jain’s Interim Bail

The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim bail given to AAP leader Satyendar Jain until further orders in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma deferred that matter after Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Jain, argued at length and later requested an adjournment. The matter will be listed tomorrow.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Satyendar Jain, took the court through the genesis of the case against his client.

Senior Advocate Singhvi told the court that Jain has cooperated in the matter and there is no predicate offence made against the former minister.

The lawyer said that according to the law, assets of a company can never be attributed to a shareholder or director and he asked how money can be attributed to Jain, which lies in the company.

Additional Solicitor General, SV Raju, appeared for the probe agency.

Meanwhile, the hearing on Jain’s bail witnessed many twists and turns today as Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud explained why the matter was listed before a different combination of benches as there was a matter relating to the extension of bail. CJI also mentioned the communication received from Justice AS Bopanna to take up part-heard matters from him because he will not be able to hear the matter due to medical reasons.

Earlier, Jain’s bail plea was partly heard by a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Bela M. Trivedi. Today, the matter is listed before a bench of Justice Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.

Jain underwent surgery on July 21. The interim bail given to Jain on medical grounds is extended from time to time.

On May 26, the top court granted interim bail to Satyendar Jain for six weeks in the money laundering case but imposed various conditions, including refusing to talk with the media nor leaving Delhi without permission.

The top court had also given Jain the right to choose any hospital of his choice for his medical treatment. The top court had made it clear that interim bail is considered in medical conditions.

Satyendar Jain has moved to the top court seeking bail in money laundering cases. He has challenged the Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case against him.

Satyendar Jain’s lawyer had told the top court that he had lost 35 kg and turned into a skeleton due to this.

Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court order dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case against him.

On April 6, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail plea of Satyendar Jain. The HC, while dismissing the Satyendar Jain bail plea, stated that the applicant is an influential person and has the potential to tamper with evidence. Satyender Jain/applicant, at this stage, can’t be held to clear the twin conditions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The HC had kept the order reserved for March 21 after the conclusion of the submissions made by the defence and prosecution sides after multiple hearings. During arguments in the High Court, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju appeared for the Enforcement Directorate, contented that money laundering is crystal clear against Jain and other co-accused. In his bail plea, Jain stated, “I appeared before the ED on seven occasions. I have cooperated and participated in the investigation. I was arrested five years down the line in 2022.”

On November 17, 2022, the trial court dismissed the bail petition of Satyendar Jain. He was arrested on May 30, 2022, under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate and is presently in Judicial Custody in the case.

The ED case is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) complaint registered on the allegation that Satyendar Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for. (ANI)

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Court Extends Sisodia’s CBI Remand In Excise Case

CBI Conducts Raids At Manish Sisodia’s Office

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids are underway at the office of AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at the Delhi Secretariat on Saturday.

“Today again CBI has reached my office. They are welcome. They raided my house, raided my office, searched my locker, and even searched my village. Nothing has been found against me and nothing will be found because I have not done anything wrong. Sincerely worked for the education of the children of Delhi,” tweeted Sisodia in Hindi.

Last year in August, the CBI conducted a search operation at Sisodia’s Punjab National Bank locker in connection with Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 money laundering case, where according to him the CBI had found nothing.

Several raids were also conducted at 21 places in Delhi and the National Capital Region including the residence of Sisodia and the premises of four public servants last year, according to a CBI official. The official said that raids were conducted in locations across 7 states.

The probe was done after taking into account a report forwarded by the Chief Secretary to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending a CBI investigation into the matter.

The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

Following LG’s recommendation, the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police’s Economic Offence Wing (EOW) issued a notice to Delhi’s Excise Commissioner asking him to provide all documents relating to the award of liquor licenses under the new excise policy. (ANI)

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