Arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: CBI Alleges Complicity in Liquor Policy Case
In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. The central agency secured a 3-day custody of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader for further interrogation.
The CBI, in its remand application presented before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, maintained that the file related to the now-scrapped liquor policy was processed with undue haste during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic's second wave.
Alleged Involvement and Complicity
The remand application asserted that Pravesh Jha, Kejriwal's Additional Secretary, confirmed that the Chief Minister's Personal Secretary, Bibhav Kumar, had instructed him to urgently circulate the draft Excise Policy for approval by the Council of Ministers.
The application presented evidence of a meeting held on May 21, 2021, at the guest house of Uttam Galva Company in New Delhi between Kejriwal-linked individuals and liquor businessmen. The CBI alleges that Bibhav Kumar had booked the guest house.
Financial Transactions and Political Funding
According to the CBI, a substantial amount, estimated at Rs 44.54 crores, was transferred through hawala channels from Delhi to Goa, purportedly used to finance the AAP's election expenses during the 2021-22 Goa Assembly Election.
The agency further claimed that liquor baron Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, implicated in the case by the Enforcement Directorate, met Kejriwal in March 2021 to seek support for his liquor business in Delhi's upcoming Excise Policy. Kejriwal allegedly assured Reddy of assistance and directed him to contact K Kavitha, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader also named as an accused in the case. The CBI alleged that Kavitha collaborated with Kejriwal's team on the liquor policy.
Political Interferences and Influence
The CBI probe revealed that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited Kejriwal's residence on March 18, 2021, and, in Kejriwal's presence, provided a draft of the Group of Ministers report to Kejriwal's Personal Secretary, requesting him to type it in the conference room.
The CBI retrieved the typed 36-page report from the office computer, alleging that it significantly increased the profit margins for liquor wholesalers from 5% to 12%. The agency claimed that the GoM recommendations were incorporated into the draft new excise policy for 2021-22, which Kejriwal approved on April 15, 2021, for cabinet approval.
Judicial Proceedings
The CBI is set to present Arvind Kejriwal before the Rouse Avenue Court on June 29 for further hearing. The agency will seek extension of his custody to continue its investigation.
The arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, triggering sharp reactions and raising questions about the alleged involvement of high-ranking officials in the liquor policy case.
