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The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's regular bail plea in the CBI case related to the excise policy.
The Central Bureau of Investigation opposed the bail plea, referring to Kejriwal as the "sutradhar" of the case. The bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna reserved the order in the matter after noting down the submissions of both sides,. CBI's Special Counsel DP Singh told the court that as their investigation progressed, they discovered "more evidence implicating" Kejriwal. He apprised the Delhi HC that a chargesheet has been filed today morning before the trial court naming six individuals, including Kejriwal, but five of them have not been arrested. The CBI further informed that they have completed their investigation against Kejriwal and a chargesheet was filed within a month of his arrest The CBI claimed that Kejriwal is the central figure or "sutradhar" in the excise policy scam. Singh told the court that Kejriwal, as the head of the cabinet, signed the excise policy, circulated it to his colleagues and received their signatures within a single day. This occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that C Aravind, an IAS officer under Manish Sisodia, testified that Vijay Nair brought a copy of the excise policy to be entered into the computer and Arvind Kejriwal was present at that time. This, according to the CBI, indicates Kejriwal's direct involvement in the matter. Singh stated that the investigation agency has traced Rs 44 crore related to the case, which was sent to Goa and "Kejriwal instructed his candidates not to worry about the funds and to focus on contesting the elections". He argued that while direct evidence might be lacking, witness testimonies, including three witnesses and 164 statements made in court, "clearly indicate Kejriwal's involvement". Singh asserted that such evidence emerged only after Kejriwal's arrest, as Punjab officers would not have come forward otherwise. Singh said after the issue blew up in media, Kejriwal sought ex post facto approval of the excise policy from the council of ministers. (ANI)
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