Arvind Kejriwal Remanded to Judicial Custody Until July 12 in Excise Policy Case
New Delhi, 29th June 2024: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been remanded to judicial custody until July 12 by the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the excise policy case. This decision follows the court’s consideration of a plea from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking his judicial custody. The CBI argued that Kejriwal, a significant political figure, could potentially influence the investigation and has been uncooperative, providing evasive responses during questioning.
According to the CBI, Kejriwal failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the hurried approval of the revised excise duty policy during the second wave of Covid-19. This approval coincided with the presence of South Group accused persons in Delhi, who were reportedly holding meetings, including with Kejriwal’s close associate Vijay Nair. Kejriwal also avoided clarifying details about Nair and his interactions with various stakeholders.
Earlier, Kejriwal was placed under CBI custody for three days following his arrest in a corruption case related to the Delhi government’s excise policy. He had previously been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the same policy. Although he was granted bail by a trial court, the Delhi High Court stayed the bail order.
Looking forward, if Kejriwal does not secure bail in both the CBI and ED cases, he will return to judicial custody after the conclusion of his current police remand, which was extended until July 3 in the money-laundering case on June 19.
