Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s national convenor, was arrested on March 21 and subsequently remanded in Enforcement Directorate custody. He is accused of being directly involved in a conspiracy related to the formulation of the now-scrapped excise policy, favouring certain individuals.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be lodged in jail number 2 of the Tihar prison in the national capital. He will be kept alone in the isolated lockup of jail number 2 which will be under 24-hour CCTV surveillance. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh was lodged in the same jail, however, he was recently shifted to jail number 5.
Earlier in the day, a Delhi court sent Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He was produced in the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after his Enforcement Directorate custody came to an end.
ED sought 15-day judicial custody
The ED had sought 15-day judicial custody of Kejriwal, saying he was “totally uncooperative”. Speaking to reporters before entering court, the AAP leader said, “Whatever the prime minister is doing(referring to his arrest) is not good for the country”.
AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal were present in court. The federal probe agency had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with the case. The next day, Special Judge Baweja remanded him in the custody of the ED till March 28. Following this, the court allowed the ED’s plea requesting an extension of his custodial interrogation by four days till April 1.
Kejriwal’s wife attacks BJP
Meanwhile Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal on Monday accused the BJP of having only one motive — to put her husband in jail during the Lok Sabha elections. “He was questioned for 11 days, the questioning is complete. The court has not declared him guilty. Why has he been put in jail?” Sunita Kejriwal told reporters while leaving the Rouse Avenue court. “They (the BJP) have only one objective — to put him in jail ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The country’s people will give a reply to this dictatorship,” she added.
(With inputs from agencies)
