CBI gets 3-day custody of Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to 3-day CBI custody in the alleged liquor policy scam. The central agency, which arrested Kejriwal earlier today, had sought five days custody of the chief minister. During the hearing, the agency said it needed Kejriwal's custody to confront him with the other accused and documents. 

Advocate DP Singh, appearing for the CBI, said that a person met Kejriwal with regard to the excise policy. "This happened even before the policy was formulated. We have a statement from Magunta Srinivas Reddy. We have evidence to show that the South Group said what the policy should be like."

The CBI counsel said the policy was formulated when the Covid pandemic was at its prime. "Who was at the helm of affairs? It is the Chief Minister."

Singh said the South Group came to Delhi during Covid by private plane when no planes were operating. He said the report prepared at the instance of the South Group was taken to the government and that report became the policy itself.

"(Under the new policy), the profit margin was increased from 5% to 12%. There were certain vendors who were not allowed to participate but following the tweaks, they were allowed to participate," he said. 

The CBI counsel said Kejriwal's first meeting with Magunta was on March 16. "Magunta Reddy is the MP and a big player in South Group. He meeting Kejriwal at Delhi secretariat and asks him to provide support in the liquor business. Kejriwal assured him of support in the excise policy case and asked him to provide monetary funds to AAP."

Singh further said that BRS leader K Kavitha contacted Magunta Reddy on May 19 and asked for a meeting with him. He said Kejriwal had asked Reddy to meet Kavitha. "He goes and meets her. K Kavitha demanded for Rs 15 crore. All this is done with the knowledge and connivance of Arvind Kejriwal," the central agency told the court. 

The CBI advocate sought Kejriwal's custodial interrogation, saying he is not even recognising that Vijay Nair was working under him. "He (Kejriwal) says he (Vijay) was working under Atishi Marlena and Saurab Bharjdwaj. He pushed the entire onus on Manish Sisodia and said he has no idea about the excise policy," Singh told the court. 

"We need to confront him with documents that we have. We are not asking him to admit to something," the counsel said, suggesting that he was not cooperating as he was denying simple knowledge.