Arvind Kejriwal Archives - Lokmarg

Delhi: Sandeep Dikshit Says Alliance With AAP Was ‘Never in Question’

By LokMarg 16th December 2024

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit clarified that the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was “never in question”, responding to discussions about the possibility of an alliance.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Dikshit stated, “The alliance was never in question. The AAP kept launching the idea because they feared losing if they fought alone. But it is good that the alliance did not happen.”

He went on to slam Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership over the past decade, claiming it has led to the breakdown of the city’s systems. “In the last 10 years, he (Arvind Kejriwal) has brought Delhi to a place where all the system has collapsed. These 10 years of failure will make him lose,” Dikshit said.

Dikshit also explained Congress’s strategy, aiming to attract voters who are disappointed with Kejriwal’s governance. “Our strategy is to attract those voters who are disappointed by him… Our past has been a golden period and we will associate with the upcoming promises, the disappointed voters will come to us on their own…”

Earlier this week, the INDIA bloc alliance for Delhi, formed for the 2024 general elections, appeared to be short-lived as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ruled out any possibility of an alliance with Congress.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said, “Aam Aadmi Party will be fighting this election on its own strength in Delhi. There is no possibility of any alliance with Congress.” This statement came after reports suggested that Congress and AAP were in the final stages of talks for a Delhi election alliance.

Earlier, on December 7, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devendra Yadav had criticized AAP and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for being responsible for the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the national capital. Devendra Yadav also demanded that Kejriwal ask for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, just as he had asked for the resignation of former CM Sheila Dixit during the Nirbhaya case. The Delhi Congress president further alleged that women were facing the brunt of increasing crimes, including gang wars, firing, murder, rape, harassment, and snatching incidents.

Congress, which was in power in Delhi for 15 successive years, has performed poorly in the past two assembly polls, failing to win any seats. The Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in early 2025. AAP won 62 out of the 70 seats in the 2020 assembly elections, while BJP secured eight seats. (ANI)

Kejriwal Sent To Judicial Custody Till April 15

By LokMarg 1st April 2024

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody till April 15 after he was produced before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at Rouse Avenue Court on Monday.

Kejriwal was produced before the court at the end of his remand period in the Delhi Excise policy money laundering case.

While entering the court complex the Delhi CM crticised PM Modi claiming he was not doing the right thing.

“Pradhan Mantri jo kar rahe hain woh desh ke liye achha nahi hai, (What the PM is doing is not right for the country),” Kejriwal said speaking to reporters while he was being produced in court.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) brought the Chief Minister to the court amid high security.

The ED moved an application in the court seeking direction to send Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody and stated that further custodial interrogation, at the moment is not required.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was appearing for the ED.

Kejriwal through his lawyers moved an application seeking permission to carry some prescribed medicine during Judicial custody in Tihar.

Kejriwal also moved an application seeking permission to carry several books including Bagwad Geeta, Ramayana and a book namely ‘How Prime Ministers decide’ authored by Neerja Chaudhary.

Earlier in the day, Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal reached the Rouse Avenue court before her husband was produced before the court. Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi were also present at the court on Monday.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case related to Delhi Excise Policy.

Earlier on Thursday, the Rouse Avenue Court extended the custodial remand of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by four more days in the case.

On Sunday, Kejriwal’s wife while addressing the INDIA bloc rally had made an emotional pitch to party supporters and people.

Reading a message from her husband, Sunita said, “Your very own Kejriwal has sent a message for you from custody. However, before reading out this message, I would like to ask you something. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi put my husband in custody. Do you all believe that he did the right thing? Do you believe that Kejriwal-ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that since Kejriwal is in custody, he should resign. Do you all believe he should resign?” (ANI)

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Had Kejriwal Bowed, He Would Have Been Fighting On BJP: CPI (M)’s Brinda

By LokMarg 31st March 2024

After the INDIA bloc’s ‘Maharally’ in protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat said if Arvind Kejriwal had succumbed to pressure, he might have ended up contesting elections on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ticket.

“We can say today that if Arvind Kejriwal had bowed, then today he would have been fighting on the ticket of BJP. Those people who are on the stage of opposition are not meant to be bowed, to be sold; they are to fight for people,” she said.

She underscored the need to safeguard the Constitution of India and ensure its vitality, rather than allowing it to languish in the ICU.

“The purpose is to take out the Constitution of India from ICU and keep it alive,” she added.

Meanwhile, when Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien was giving assurances on his party’s behalf to the INDIA bloc members in Delhi’s historical Ramlila Maidan, at the same time West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s struck a different tone in Nadia, stating that her party is fighting against the Congress and accused the grand old party as well as CPI(M) of indirectly supporting the BJP.

Despite O’Brien’s affirmation that “TMC is very much was, is and will be part of the INDIA alliance,” Banerjee, back at home, emphasized that “Voting for Congress means voting for BJP,” implying a strategic divergence from Congress.

She further claimed that the TMC is contesting against the alliance of CPM-BJP-Congress, denouncing any formal coalition formation.

“Congress is contesting the elections in alliance with the Left here. Voting for them means voting for BJP,” West Bengal Chief Minister said.

INDIA alliance leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, J-K NC leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and other leaders were present at the INDIA bloc rally in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi.

Opposition leaders came together in a show of strength at the capital’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case. (ANI)

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Will Kejriwal’s Arrest Make AAP More Powerful?

By Sanjoy Narayan 31st March 2024

Approximately one year from now, when the state of Delhi holds its next assembly elections, how many of the 70 seats do you think the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will get? Here are some facts to help you with your estimate: Last time the Delhi elections took place, in 2020, AAP won 62 of them, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 8; and in the previous elections, in 2015, AAP won 67, while the BJP won 3. So how many seats do you think AAP will win in 2025?

It might seem a bit silly that I’m talking about an election that will probably not happen till February 2025, at a time when everything should really be focused on the big fat Indian elections that begin next month when nearly a billion of us will vote to elect 543 Members of Parliament. Then again, there will likely be few surprises when that long 44-day polling is over and the votes are counted. Unless something totally unforeseen happens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are expected to sweep those elections and the only question is about whether they can get more than the 353 seats they won in 2019 and, if so, how many more.

Delhi’s next assembly election, though, is a more interesting subject to speculate about. As I write this, AAP’s national convenor and Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, is in a Delhi prison after he was arrested on 21 March by the government’s Enforcement Department, which investigates economic crimes such as money laundering offences. The charges against Kejriwal, 55, and some of his senior party colleagues who are also incarcerated pending trial, involve alleged aberrations in the granting of liquor licences to private vendors in the state of Delhi. Even as AAP refutes those allegations and the ED continues its investigations, his arrest coming just before the parliamentary elections start has raised many questions.

Kejriwal’s AAP, a young party formed in 2012 out of a larger mass civil movement against corruption, has already blazed a remarkable political path. In Delhi, it has decisively won elections to the state assembly and Kejriwal has been chief minister since 2015 (also earlier for a year in 2013-14). In Punjab, in 2022, as a newcomer, the party won the state election with 92 of the 117 seats and has been running the state’s government there. It has just one seat in Lok Sabha and has not really fared too well in other states where it has contested elections but Kejriwal’s popularity as a politician and leader has been on the rise and AAP does have ambitions of emerging as a national party.

In recent months, arrests and investigations against opposition leaders by agencies of the government of India have caught the attention of those who follow Indian politics because of their timing and also because of the people that have been targeted. In an interview to Al-Jazeera news channel, the opposition leader and Trinamool Congress MP from West Bengal, Derek O’Brien alleged that 96% of the anti-corruption cases against politicians are against those from non-BJP opposition parties. He also alleged that most of these are “trumped-up charges” that miraculously go away when some of those charged defect to the BJP.

It is for the investigators and the judiciary to decide whether the charges against various politicians stick or not but the timing of some arrests may be more than mere coincidence. Kejriwal’s rise and the growing prominence of his party has clearly been a challenge for the BJP as well as the Congress. A first-generation politician from a middle-class family, Kejriwal, who has an engineering degree from one of India’s top technology institutes, quit a government job to join politics. Like Modi he doesn’t come from a political dynasty as many Indian political leaders, notably Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, do.

His Aam Aadmi Party has the avowed mission of being dedicated to the cause of the common man and despite several constraints that his government faces because of Delhi’s special status as a state, its achievements are notable. Here are some of them: In education, the AAP government has focused on improving the quality of education in Delhi. Initiatives like mohalla schools and happiness classes have been implemented to enhance learning outcomes. In healthcare, the Delhi Arogya Kosh scheme provides free treatment to over five lakh citizens. In public transport, the addition of 1,650 electric buses to the public transport fleet aims to reduce pollution and improve mobility.

It’s not easy for the Delhi government to operate within constraints imposed by the special status of the National Capital Territory (NCT), where certain subjects such as policing, law and order, and land matters, fall under the jurisdiction of the central government. In addition, the NCT’s 33.8 million population (with a staggering 22,800 people per sq km) poses challenges related to infrastructure, traffic, and pollution management that are not easy to tackle.

Although AAP is part of an alliance of around 26 opposition parties, the badly-named Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), it is one of the few parties within that fold that can be expected to challenge the BJP’s formidable force in coming years. AAP may still be a small and young party but its leader, Kejriwal, has the charisma and voter-pulling power that few others among India’s opposition parties do. Many such as Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal have a sway over their own states but have been able to make no headway outside their fiefdoms. Kejriwal, who has led AAP to victory in Punjab, stands out among the others.

In Delhi, because of the state’s special status, Kejriwal and his AAP government have constantly sparred with the Lieutenant Governor of the state, who is, in effect, appointed by the Centre, and has discretionary powers over the subjects outside the state government’s jurisdiction. As a consequence, AAP and Kejriwal have become, from the point of view of the BJP, a thorn in its side.

One of the professed objectives of the Modi regime since it came to power in 2014 was to create an India or Bharat that is “free of the Congress party”. It is an objective that electorally it has achieved. In Parliament, the once powerful Congress party has just 50 of the 543 seats; and of the 28 Indian states, it is in power in only three.

With the Congress out of the way, could the BJP now be training its sights on other rising opposition parties such as AAP? Or could its recent crackdown on Kejriwal and other AAP leaders actually backfire and boost support for them? That brings us back to my earlier question: How many seats in the next Delhi elections do you think AAP will win? Any guesses?

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Custodial Remand Of Kejriwal Till April 1

By LokMarg 28th March 2024

The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended the custodial remand of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by four more days in a money laundering case related to Excise Policy.

ED, while seeking further remand, submitted that data on one mobile phone (belonging to the arrestee’s wife) has been extracted and is being analyzed. However, data from the other 4 digital devices seized during a search at Arvind Kejriwal’s premises on March 21, 2024 (belonging to the arrestee himself) is yet to be extracted as the arrestee has sought time to provide password/login credentials after consulting with his lawyers.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended the ED remand period until April 1, 2024.

During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal himself addressed the court and said there were only four statements, including C Arvind, where he claimed that “he gave some documentation to Manish Sisodia in my presence”.

“Several bureaucrats and MLAs came regularly to my home. Are these four statements made by different people sufficient to arrest a sitting Chief Minister?” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal also referred to the statements of C Arvind, Raghav Magunta and his father, and Sharath Reddy. Kejriwal made a statement about the issue of electoral bonds, stating that the BJP is getting money. Kejriwals pointed out that people are being turned approvers in the case and people are being forced to change their statements.

Kejriwal also said… “mujhe jitna remand pe rakhna hai rakh lo… I’m ready for every investigation. It’s being alleged that 100 cr was in a Liquor scam…Justice Sanjiv Khanna said that the money trail is not yet traced, said Arvind Kejriwal to court.”

“The real liquor scam begins post the ED investigation. The motive of the ED is to crush the Aam Aadmi Party,” said Arvind Kejriwal.

While seeking custodial remand ED said, statements of 3 other persons, relevant to the arrestee, have also been taken during the period of remand. During the ED Custody period, C. Arvind, PS to then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who was handed over the draft GoM report 2021-22 at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal and in his presence, was confronted with him.

A statement of one of the candidates for the AAP of Goa elections in 2022 is also recorded during this period. He has revealed that he did not have any money and his election expenditure (all expenses for rallies/ events/public hoardings) was taken care of by AAP Office Delhi only through their associates.

During the hearing, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Gopal Rai remain present in the courtroom. Arvind Kejriwal’s wife and two children also attended the court proceedings.

Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta and Advocates Rajat Bharadwaj, Mudit Jain, Mohd Irshad, and Vivek Jain appeared for Arvind Kejriwal while ASG SV Raju along with Zoheb Hossain, Naveen Kumar Matta, and Simon Benjamin appeared for Enforcement Directorate.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Petition moved by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest and also challenging ED remand granted by the trial court, while refusing to grant any immediate relief.

Bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma stated that that the respondent/ED has to be granted an opportunity to file a reply, as an opportunity for effective representation, and declining this opportunity would amount to denial of fair hearing as well as violation of one of the principles of natural justice, i.e., audi-alteram partem, which is applicable to both the parties and not one.

The court, while fixing matter for April 3, 2024, further stated that any release order from custody will amount to enlarging the accused/petitioner/ Arvind Kejriwal on bail or interim bail, as an interim measure. The writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is not a ready substitute for recourse to the remedy of bail under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C. ordinarily.

Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma further stated that This Court remains conscious of the fact that to reach a conclusion as to whether the petitioner/Arvind Kejriwal herein is entitled to immediate release or not, this Court will necessarily have to decide the issues raised in the main petition, as those issues are the edifice of arguments of the learned Senior Counsel for the petitioner seeking immediate release of the petitioner.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Arvind Kejriwal submitted that a sitting CM who was arrested one week ago during the Model Code of Conduct. The heart of democracy is a level playing field and a free and fair election: If you do something to disrupt the level playing field, you hit the heart of democracy. My prayer is release me now because the foundation of my arrest is flawed, this is my interim prayer.

Arvind Kejriwal, through his plea alleged that the DOE has, at the time of arrest has failed to establish that the petitioner is guilty of committing activities stipulated under Section 3, i.e., be it one of concealment, possession, acquisition, or use of proceeds of crime, as much as projecting it as untainted property or claiming it to be so.

The fact that the petitioner/Kejriwal was arrested without any interrogation or questioning clearly shows that the present proceedings of arrest are pre-meditated and nothing but an act of political vendetta to skew the balance and level-playing field in the 2024 General Election.

Appearing for Enforcement Directorate, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju sought time to file detailed reply in the matter and alleged that they deliberately didn’t serve us a copy so that we were not prepared, you talk of level playing field and their yardsticks are different

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the excise policy case.

According to Kejriwal’s plea, both the arrest and the remand order are illegal and he is entitled to be released from custody.

The plea stated that without there being any material in possession of the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of which the petitioner (Arvind Kejriwal), can be believed to be guilty of an offence, the petitioner is being illegally and arbitrarily arrested by ED in the evening of March 21.

The plea further stated that the provisions of PMLA are being used to persecute and destroy the very basic fabric of the democratic and federal structures of this country.

“The attempt is to decimate a political party and topple an elected government of NCT of Delhi,” the plea stated.

The trial court on March 22, sent Arvind Kejriwal to ED remand till March 28. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.

The agency 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 central agency said in its remand.

It 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 the 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.

Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency late Thursday night on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal 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.

While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.

Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case. (ANI)

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Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K Kavitha

Delhi HC To Hear Tomorrow, PIL Seeking Removal Of Kejriwal As CM

By LokMarg 27th March 2024

The Delhi High Court will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) praying for the removal of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from holding the post of chief minister of the government of NCT of Delhi on Thursday.

The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday.

Recently, a plea stated that Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam. Prior to the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate, the High Court of Delhi had also refused to pass orders granting interim protection from coercive action to him in the said case.

The plea stated that after the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Minister of Govt of NCT of Delhi Atishi gave interviews to various channels on March 21, stating and affirming that Arvind Kejriwal will not resign from his post and, if needed, will run the government from jail. She further said, “Arvind Kejriwal was the Delhi CM, is the CM and will continue to remain the CM, he will not resign, the plea read.

The plea filed by one Surjit Singh Yadav through lawyer Shashi Ranjan Kumar Singh stated that the continuance of Arvind Kejriwal as the chief minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam has degraded the credibility and image of the Government of NCT of Delhi in the eyes of the general public.

The continuation of Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Government of the NCT of Delhi will not only lead to the obstruction of due process of law and disrupt the course of justice but will also lead to the breakdown or the constitutional machinery in the state, the plea stated.

The ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case and remanded the next day to the ED till March 28.

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

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My Husband Will Reveal Truth: Kejriwal’s Wife

By LokMarg 27th March 2024

The wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sunita on Wednesday said that her husband, who is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged excise scam, will reveal the truth regarding the case in court on March 28.

Kejriwal will be produced before the court on Thursday at the end of his ED custody in Delhi excise policy money laundering case.

In a video message, Sunita Kejriwal hit out at the Centre and central probe agency, saying that the ED could not find a single penny in its more than 250 raids conducted in the “so-called liquor scam”.

“In the so-called liquor scam, ED has conducted more than 250 raids. They are searching for the money of this so-called scam. They have found nothing yet. Arvind Kejriwal has said that he will reveal everything in court on March 28. He will reveal where the money of the liquor scam is. He will also provide proof…” she said.

Sunita has met the Delhi CM on Tuesday evening at the ED office.

“I met Arvind Kejriwal in jail yesterday, he has diabetes and sugar level is not under control. However, his determination is strong. Two days ago, he directed Delhi Minister Atishi to resolve the water and sewer-related issues. What wrong did he do? The Centre has filed a case against Arvind Kejriwal even for this. Do they want to finish Delhi?” she added.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s National Convenor was arrested on March 21 for alleged misdoings in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy case under an ongoing money laundering probe by the ED. He is in ED custody till March 28.

The case relates to alleged irregularities and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy in 2022.In its initial prosecution complaint filed in November 2021, the ED stated that the policy was intentionally designed with loopholes, facilitating the formation of cartels clandestinely to favor AAP leaders.

Additionally, the ED accused AAP leaders of receiving kickbacks from a group of individuals referred to as the “South Group.”

The case originated from a report presented by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting purported procedural deficiencies in the development of the policy.

The report said “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” taken by Sisodia in his capacity as Excise Minister had resulted in “financial losses to the exchequer” estimated at more than Rs 580 crore.This report was referred to the CBI, and led to Sisodia’s arrest.

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Arvind Kejriwal Winter Action Delhi Planning Department

Kejriwal Moves Delhi HC Against Arrest

By LokMarg 23rd March 2024

The Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, on Saturday moved to the Delhi High Court, challenging his arrest and the order of remand passed by the trial court on March 22.

CM Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.

His legal team said that his plea in Delhi HC stated that both the arrest and the remand order are ‘illegal’ and he is entitled to be released from custody immediately.

An immediate hearing has been sought from the Acting Chief Justice, preferably on Sunday, March 24.

The ED, which was given the custody of Delhi CM till March 28 by the court, has alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday remanded Kejriwal to six days of ED custody in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam case till March 28.

Special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after Kejriwal was produced today following his arrest last night by the central probe agency. The ED sought 10 days remand of Kejriwal in its custody.

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Vikram Chaudhari, and Ramesh Gupta, along with Advocates Rajat Bharadwaj, Mudit Jain and Mohd Irshad, appeared for the Delhi CM Kejriwal.

ASG SV Raju and Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for the probe agency. “Part of the proceeds of crime to the tune of cash of Rs 45 cr 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 federal agency said in its remand.

It 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 Goa Assembly elections, it is clear it all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.

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

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Kejriwal’s Arrest Is Because Of His Own Deeds: Anna Hazare

By LokMarg 22nd March 2024

Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said that the arrest of the AAP chief was because of his own “deeds.”

“I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds,” Hazare said on Friday.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Thursday night, in which two senior AAP leaders are already in judicial custody.

Arvind Kejriwal had joined the Anna movement in 2011 against the then Congress government’s alleged corruption. He rode on to fame, floated his own political party in 2012, and contested for the chief minister’s office.

In another development, the Delhi Chief Minister earlier withdrew his plea from the Supreme Court against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case as it was clashing with his remand.

Kejriwal was arrested after skipping nine summonses issued against him by the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi High Court, which refused to grant him relief from any coercive action by the probe agency.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya lashed out at the Congress, an AAP partner in INDIA bloc, for coming out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, said, “Congress is the mother of corruption… The language that their leader Rahul Gandhi is using will be decided in the Lok Sabha polls… People took it as their right to indulge in corruption.”

“They keep accusing the central agencies as if they are working at the orders of the PMO or the HMO. The agencies are working neutrally. Arvind Kejriwal was issued 9 summonses but he is has the pride of power. If the ED is wrong, then he should have gone to court…,” the BJP leader said.

Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest came days after the ED arrested K Kavitha, Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

Earlier Manish Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.

Kejriwal’s arrest also comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held from April 19 to June 1, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission earlier in the month. (ANI)

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ED Produces Kejriwal At Rouse Avenue Court

By LokMarg 22nd March 2024

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday produced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before Rouse Avenue court following his arrest in connection with the excise policy case.

The special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja’s bench will hear the matter. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing the Delhi CM.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case on Thursday after the Delhi High Court refused interim protection to Kejriwal from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case.

The Delhi CM was arrested after skipping nine summons issued against him by the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi High Court, which refused to grant him relief from any coercive action by the probe agency.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

Kejriwal’s arrest also comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held from April 19 to June 1, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission earlier in the month.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member. (ANI)

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