A court has granted a seven-day remand for interrogation of Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of India’s capital New Delhi and chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), arrested in the much-discussed excise corruption case. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Friday sent him to the custody of the country’s central investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), till March 28.
ED took him to court today on Friday. The company asked for a 10-day remand, but a seven-day remand was granted.
In the court hearing, ED claimed that Kejriwal was the ‘mastermind’ of this scam. Besides, he worked as a medium with the ‘South Group’ and other accused involved in corruption. Among them are former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party official Vijay Nair. Manish Sisodia was arrested last year.
The ED also claimed that over Rs 600 crore was embezzled in the scam. Out of which ‘South Group’ has given 100 crore rupees. Kavitha, the leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti, was arrested last week for her alleged involvement in these.
Kejriwal was the first person in the history of independent India to be arrested while serving as Chief Minister. However, Kejriwal denied all the allegations leveled against him.
Kejriwal’s team has claimed that the ED has not yet recovered even a single amount of the alleged corruption.
After his arrest on Thursday night, Kejriwal spent the night in the ED office.
Kejriwal was able to speak to the journalists present after being taken to the court on Friday. Then he said, “I sacrificed my life for the country.”
The ED has claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party has used corruption money in the elections as well. Meanwhile, they won the Goa elections. ED Additional Solicitor-General SV Raju claimed to have information that corrupt money was used in elections.
