New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) formally arrested the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday. The development occurred after the Rouse Avenue Court permitted the CBI to question Kejriwal in the courtroom and requested that they submit evidence supporting his arrest.
Kejriwal was brought to Rouse Avenue Court in the morning on Wednesday for a hearing in the excise policy case. The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) chief was accompanied by his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, at the trial court. The Supreme Court is also scheduled to hear Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s interim stay on his bail in the money laundering case related to the liquor excise policy.
Kejriwal was produced before Special Judge Amitabh Rawat, where the CBI sought his custody to interrogate him. The application was moved by the central probe agency after the AAP leader was produced before the court from Tihar Central Jail.
The excise case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
Lt Governor V.K. Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities. Subsequently, the ED filed a case on August 22, 2022, taking cognisance of the CBI FIR that was lodged on August 17, 2022.
The New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, introduced in November 2021, aimed to revolutionize the liquor retail landscape in the capital. Its objectives were to maximize revenue for the state, combat the sale of counterfeit alcohol, and enhance the consumer experience. However, the policy encountered vehement opposition and allegations of procedural irregularities, ultimately leading to its annulment on August 1, 2022.
