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Kejriwal not questioned overnight; insulin arranged, ED watching SC proceedings
The CM spent the night at the ED headquarters after a procedural medical check-up
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has not yet questioned Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal even after he was arrested on Thursday evening keeping in mind his health and the agency is eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court hearing outcome before it decides whether the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief will be produced in the court physically or virtually, people familiar with the development said.
The CM spent the night at the ED headquarters after a procedural medical check-up.
“Since he suffers from diabetes, insulin injections have been brought for him and a team of doctors has seen him on Friday morning as well,” said an officer cited above.
Asked if ED got a chance to interrogate him in custody, this officer said, “Not really. After the initial examination at his residence, by the time he was brought to the ED office and all legal formalities were completed, it was very late, and our team was also exhausted. We are keeping a careful watch on his health. Insulin injections have been arranged for him”.
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Asked what time Kejriwal is expected to be produced before the special court at Rouse Avenue Court on Friday, a second officer cited above said it is not likely before 2:30pm.
“He will be produced for sure, virtually, or physically will be decided soon. We are waiting for SC decision as well”, he said.
The AAP leader has been arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the allegations that he was involved in the formulation and implementation of now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, in which a certain group of businessmen and politicians from the South Group were favoured in getting liquor zones in lieu of ₹100 crore bribes paid to the AAP leaders.
ED has claimed in one of its charge sheets that a “conspiracy was hatched” by political leaders including Kejriwal, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and arrested Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha, among others, in the Delhi excise policy.
“Kavitha orchestrated a deal with CM, Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and then deputy CM and excise minister Manish Sisodia, wherein she along with other members of the South Group paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen. In exchange for kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP, Kavitha had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure a favourable position to her,” ED said in its remand note last week after arresting Kavitha.
The South Group allegedly paid kickbacks of ₹100 crore in advance to Vijay Nair (AAP’s then communications in-charge), who was managing this scheme and conspiracy on behalf of AAP leaders.
The agency said in one of the court documents last year that “Nair is not an ordinary worker of the AAP but a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi…”
It said that businessman Sameer Mahendru asked Nair to arrange a meeting with Kejriwal, and to verify Nair’s clout, a “FaceTime call with the CM was arranged by Nair”. Kejriwal told Mahendru during this video call that “Vijay is his boy and that he should trust him”, ED has claimed.
ED cited a December 7, 2022, statement recorded by Sisodia’s then secretary C Arvind who claimed he was informed of the decision to carve a 12% profit margin for wholesale private entities at Kejriwal’s residence in March 2021. There were no discussions about handing the wholesale liquor business to private players in meetings held by the group of ministers (GoM) — which comprised Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Kailash Gahlot — before mid-March 2021, Arvind told ED.
However, “on March 18, 2021, Arvind was called by Sisodia to Kejriwal’s residence (where former health minister Satyendar Jain was also present) and Sisodia handed over a draft GoM report proposing that the wholesale (business) should go to private entities. Arvind was asked to prepare the draft GoM report based on the said document. He said that it was the first time that he saw this proposal as the same was never discussed in any GoM meetings”, ED said.
