Following the Rouse Avenue Court’s approval for the CBI to question the AAP supremo in court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody by the agency on Wednesday in relation to the liquor policy case.
After being arrested, Kejriwal withdrew his plea in the Supreme Court, contesting the Delhi High Court’s decision to stay his bail in the money laundering case.
On March 21, the Enforcement Directorate had detained Kejriwal in connection with a money laundering inquiry involving the alleged liquor policy fraud. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
The CBI said that Kejriwal needed to be in custody in order to question him with documents during the trial court hearing. The CBI further asserted that Kejriwal had placed the responsibility for privatisation on former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia.
The CBI also claimed that Kejriwal said Vijay Nair, former communication-in-charge of the AAP and an accused in the case, was working under Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj.
Lawyer Vikram Chaudhari, who is representing Kejriwal, contested the CBI’s demand, claiming he was unaware that the CBI had filed an application with the court and obtained permission to investigate him.
“The manner in which this has been done is of grave concern. Please allow us access to the documents and defer this hearing to tomorrow… Heavens will not fall if we file a reply,” Kejriwal’s counsel said.
The CBI took Kejriwal’s statement from jail on June 25 and sought his appearance before the trial court on Wednesday.
The CBI, represented by senior advocate DP Singh, said that investigation was the right of the agency, and the law does not mandate that the accused should be informed.
“The law does not say that I have to tell them when I want to go and investigate him. The same thing happened in the case of K Kavitha. I only need the court’s permission,” the CBI said.
Kejriwal’s lawyer argued that no Section 41 notice was provided under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to appear for interrogation.
“If My lords allow them to arrest him (Kejriwal), my lords will be allowing their shoulders to be used as a gun to shoot him. If My lords give them the permission to arrest, my lords will effectively be sanctifying the remand,” he said.
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