Arvind Kejriwal, embroiled in the contentious excise policy case, took a bold stance on Thursday (March 28) by personally arguing against his continued detention under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, embroiled in the contentious excise policy case, took a bold stance on Thursday (March 28) by personally arguing against his continued detention under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody. During a hearing at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, Kejriwal, whose remand period was nearing its end, was presented before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja by the ED, which sought an extension of his custody.
Kejriwal, speaking in Hindi, launched a fervent critique against the ED, accusing the agency of targeting him without substantial evidence.
“ED ka mission kewal aur kewal mujhe fasana tha (“ED’s sole mission was only and only to implicate me.”),”
he asserted, signaling a deep mistrust in the motivations behind his arrest. Despite this, he surprisingly did not contest the ED’s request for further custody, stating,
“Hum ED ki remand oppose nahi kar rahe. Jitne din chaahe wo mujhe custody main rakh le (I am not opposing the remand. ED can keep me in custody as long as they want).”
However, Kejriwal didn’t hold back on his allegations, suggesting that the real scandal was the ED’s purported use of the investigation as a front for an extortion racket.
“ED ke do maqsad the. Ek to AAP ko khatam karna.. Ek smokescreen create karna aur uske peechhe extortion racket karna jiske zariye wo paise ikathhe kar rahe hain (ED has two aims. To finish off AAP and to create a smokescreen and run an extortion racket to collect money),”
he claimed.
The Chief Minister further alleged a direct financial link between the accused in the excise policy case and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting a quid pro quo arrangement.
“Sarath Reddy ne ₹55 crore ka donation BJP ko diya. Mere paas saboot hain ki ye racket chal raha hai. Money trail is established. He donated ₹50 crore to BJP after being arrested,”
Kejriwal disclosed, hinting at a broader political conspiracy.
Kejriwal also questioned the evidentiary basis of his arrest, pointing out inconsistencies and selective use of witness statements by the prosecution.
“Teen statements diye gaye aur unme se court ke saamne sirf wo laaya gaya jisme mujhe fasaya gaya.. kyu? Ye to sahi nahi hai na (Three statements were given but only those were brought on record which were against me. How is this right?)”
he challenged, raising doubts about the fairness of the legal process.
The courtroom drama unfolded further as Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, argued for the necessity of extending Kejriwal’s custody to confront him with additional evidence and witnesses.
“His statements have been recorded, he gave evasive replies. We need to confront him with some other people. Four more statements of AAP Goa candidates are being recorded. We will need to confront him with them,”
SV Raju stated, also accusing Kejriwal of non-cooperation for not disclosing passwords to his digital accounts.
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SV Raju dismissed Kejriwal’s allegations as irrelevant to the remand proceedings, accusing him of attempting to sway public opinion.
“It is at the stage of production… How are all these things relevant? Whether someone was coerced to give a statement is a matter of trial. He wants to play to the gallery,”
SV Raju countered.
The allegations of financial misconduct extended beyond the confines of the Delhi excise policy, with the ED claiming that illicit funds were funneled into AAP’s political activities in Goa.
“AAP received the kickbacks which they used in Goa elections. There is a clear cut chain. We have statements and documents to show that money came through hawala and was used to fund the Goa campaign,”
SV Raju elaborated, adding,
“We have material to show that this very person demanded 100 crore kickback.”
As the court reserved its order, the legal battle over Kejriwal’s custody and the allegations against him highlighted not just a legal dispute but a politically charged confrontation that has ramifications beyond the courtroom. Kejriwal’s arrest, a historic first for a sitting Chief Minister in India, and the subsequent legal proceedings have ignited a debate on the use of law enforcement agencies in political battles, with Kejriwal accusing the central government of misusing the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the ED to skew the electoral process in favor of the BJP.
As the Delhi High Court prepares to hear Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest and custody, the case continues to draw attention to the intricate web of politics, law, and allegations of corruption that define contemporary Indian political discourse.
