Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who was representing the ED, that the hearing on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest was likely to take time, so the court was considering hearing the probe agency on interim bail for him.
Tag: Delhi liquor policy case
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‘My Name Is Arvind Kejriwal And I Am Not…’: Delhi CM’s New Message From Jail |
NEW DELHI: Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Tuesday delivered the Delhi Chief Minister’s new message from Tihar Jail: “My name is Arvind Kejriwal and I am not a terrorist”. Singh delivered this message from the AAP supremo following his meeting with Punjab CM Bhagwat Mann on Monday in the Tihar Jail complex. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Sanjay Singh stated: “Arvind Kejriwal, who worked like a son and a brother for the country and the people of Delhi, has sent a message from jail that ‘My name is Arvind Kejriwal and I am not a terrorist’…The three-time elected CM of Delhi is made to meet CM Bhagwant Mann through a glass. It is clear from this that the Prime Minister has a feeling of hatred against Arvind Kejriwal…”
#WATCH | AAP MP Sanjay Singh says “Arvind Kejriwal, who worked like a son and a brother for the country and the people of Delhi, has sent a message from jail that ‘My name is Arvind Kejriwal and I am not a terrorist’…The three-time elected CM of Delhi is made to meet CM… pic.twitter.com/PC98W6thTJ
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2024
Sanjay Singh also claimed that efforts are being made 24 hours to demoralise Arvind Kejriwal. “This is Arvind Kejriwal, he is made of a different clay… The more you try to break him, the stronger he will come back…Yesterday, CM Bhagwant Mann became emotional during the meeting. This is an emotional matter for all of us but it is a matter of shame for BJP and PM Modi,” the AAP MP alleged.
#WATCH | AAP MP Sanjay Singh says “…Efforts are being made 24 hours to demoralize Arvind Kejriwal. This is Arvind Kejriwal, he is made of a different clay… The more you try to break him, the stronger he will come back…Yesterday CM Bhagwant Mann became emotional during the… pic.twitter.com/BSDnrzgdxM
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2024Delhi Court Extends Kejriwal’s Judicial Custody
The Rouse Avenue court on Monday extended the judicial custody of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal till April 23, 2024. The Delhi CM attended the court session via video conferencing. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the agency and his subsequent remand in the excise policy case.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta refused to give an early hearing of the case as sought by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal. Kejriwal, who was arrested on the night of March 21, was produced virtually before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts on the expiry of his judicial custody.
The Court said it is extending custody until April 23, when judicial custody of the co-accused (BRS leader K Kavitha) is also ending. Earlier, AAP leader Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court judgement that dismissed his plea against arrest by the ED and his subsequent remand in the excise policy case.
On April 9, the High Court dismissed his plea for release from jail and rejected his argument of political vendetta amid the looming Lok Sabha elections. The High Court had said that Kejriwal’s absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined any claims of special privilege as Chief Minister, suggesting his arrest was an inevitable consequence of his non-cooperation.
Filing the appeal against the High Court judgement, Kejriwal said that there is no material in the possession of the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of which an inference of guilt can be made under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The arrest was made solely based on the subsequent, contradictory, and highly belated statements of co-accused who have now turned approvers, the appeal stated. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
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‘BJP Top Leadership Behind Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest’: AAP MP Sanjay Singh On Liquor Policy Case |
NEW DELHI: A day after his release from jail, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Friday during which he claimed that a ”conspiracy” was orchestrated by senior leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to arrest his party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case. Singh accused the BJP of involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy scam, suggesting that high-ranking members of the party were complicit in the alleged wrongdoing.
Magunta Reddy Forced To Accuse Kejriwal: Sanjay Singh
Singh highlighted the case of Magunta Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta, asserting that their statements underwent significant alterations under duress. According to Singh, Magunta Reddy initially provided statements that did not implicate Kejriwal but changed his stance following his son’s arrest and prolonged detention. Similarly, Raghav Magunta allegedly altered his testimony after enduring months of incarceration, eventually inculpating Kejriwal in the purported conspiracy.
#WATCH | Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh says, “There is one person, Magunta Reddy, who gave 3 statements, his son Raghav Magunta gave 7 statements. On 16th September, when he (Magunta Reddy) was first asked by ED whether he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he told the truth and said… pic.twitter.com/YzyPrZxYAQ
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024
Selective Editing by Authorities
Singh accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of selectively removing statements that did not implicate Kejriwal, thereby allegedly manipulating the narrative to suit their agenda. He claimed that the agency disregarded testimonies that exonerated Kejriwal while emphasizing those that inculpated him, insinuating bias in the investigative process.
ED Raids And Alleged Intimidation
Singh further alleged that individuals who initially denied any association with Kejriwal were coerced into incriminating him after facing prolonged detention and intimidation tactics by investigative authorities. He cited the case of Sarath Reddy, whose prolonged detention allegedly led to a change in his testimony, implicating Kejriwal under duress.
#WATCH | Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh says, “…There is a person Sarath Reddy, whose residence was raided on 9th November 2022. When he was asked if he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he denied it and said that he had never met him. 12 statements of Sarath Reddy were recorded… pic.twitter.com/zdynwMchhS
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024
Following his release, Singh visited a Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, where he prayed for wisdom to prevail within the BJP-led central government. Additionally, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Singh’s post-release activities included a meeting with Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Arrest Of Delhi CM
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case. The trial court on April 1, sent Arvind Kejriwal to Judicial Custody till April 15, 2024. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.
Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.
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Delhi liquor coverage case: No reduction from Preferrred Court docket for BRS chief Ok Kavitha
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NEW DELHI: BRS chief Ok Kavitha who had approached the Preferrred Court docket difficult the summons issued to look on the ED’s New Delhi workplace relating to the Delhi liquor coverage case didn’t get any reduction as the highest court docket on Monday tagged her plea with different an identical pending petitions.
Her plea was once tagged by means of a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi with a petition that was once most popular by means of Nalini Chidambaram, a senior suggest and spouse of former Union minister P Chidambaram within the Saradha chit fund case in 2018. The court docket additionally adjourned the subject for 3 weeks.
Kavitha, in her plea whilst difficult the summons, had sought sure protections to her all the way through the wondering and sought instructions to the investigating officials to that impact.
Showing for Kavitha, senior suggest Kapil Sibal mentioned even supposing she within the criticism was once no longer proven as an accused, the summons issued to her underneath segment 160 CrPC was once for an investigation. He mentioned, “He (ED) says that it’s an inquiry however I’m being investigated. The summons is for investigation.”
She had contended that the investigation towards her was once not anything greater than a fishing expedition being undertaken by means of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) only on the behest of the ruling political birthday celebration. It was once additionally argued that even supposing she was once no longer named within the FIR registered by means of the CBI alleging irregularities within the Delhi excise coverage, sure contributors of the ruling political birthday celebration on the Centre made scandalous statements linking her to the coverage and the FIR.
ALSO READ: Delhi excise coverage case: BRS chief Kavitha seems prior to ED, surrenders telephones to company
“The Enforcement Directorate, in tooth of settled legislation, summoned her to look prior to their workplaces in New Delhi and has confiscated her mobile phone with none written order for manufacturing of the mentioned telephone,” the plea said.
She in her plea has additionally contended that she was once pressured to provide her mobile phone while she was once summoned underneath Sections 50(2), 50(3) PMLA which don’t require manufacturing of the telephone.
“There’s no case towards the petitioner. The one foundation on which the petitioner has been implicated is on foundation of sure observation of few individuals who’ve given incriminating observation qua themselves in addition to allegedly towards the petitioner. Then again, such statements were extracted out of risk and coercion, which is obvious from the truth that on 10.03.2023, one Mr. Arun Ramachandran Pillai, has retracted his observation. The credibility of the statements presupposed to be towards the petitioner is underneath critical doubt,” the plea additionally said.
The ED had previous filed a caveat within the Preferrred Court docket during which it had instructed the SC to not move any orders till it hears the federal probe company.
Despite the fact that she was once grilled by means of the ED on March 11 within the cash laundering case and was once summoned by means of the ED once more for the 3rd time on March 16, because the SC had agreed to listing her plea on March 24, she had skipped the March 16 summons. She in flip had despatched her authorized consultant Soma Bharath (a BRS birthday celebration workplace bearer) who passed over to the investigating officer of the case a six-page illustration towards her deposition at the side of her financial institution observation, non-public and industry main points. Since she had skipped the summons, she was once once more grilled by means of the ED for greater than 10 hours on March 20 and was once additionally summoned on March 21.
NEW DELHI: BRS chief Ok Kavitha who had approached the Preferrred Court docket difficult the summons issued to look on the ED’s New Delhi workplace relating to the Delhi liquor coverage case didn’t get any reduction as the highest court docket on Monday tagged her plea with different an identical pending petitions.
Her plea was once tagged by means of a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi with a petition that was once most popular by means of Nalini Chidambaram, a senior suggest and spouse of former Union minister P Chidambaram within the Saradha chit fund case in 2018. The court docket additionally adjourned the subject for 3 weeks.
Kavitha, in her plea whilst difficult the summons, had sought sure protections to her all the way through the wondering and sought instructions to the investigating officials to that impact.googletag.cmd.push(serve as() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );
Showing for Kavitha, senior suggest Kapil Sibal mentioned even supposing she within the criticism was once no longer proven as an accused, the summons issued to her underneath segment 160 CrPC was once for an investigation. He mentioned, “He (ED) says that it’s an inquiry however I’m being investigated. The summons is for investigation.”
She had contended that the investigation towards her was once not anything greater than a fishing expedition being undertaken by means of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) only on the behest of the ruling political birthday celebration. It was once additionally argued that even supposing she was once no longer named within the FIR registered by means of the CBI alleging irregularities within the Delhi excise coverage, sure contributors of the ruling political birthday celebration on the Centre made scandalous statements linking her to the coverage and the FIR.
ALSO READ: Delhi excise coverage case: BRS chief Kavitha seems prior to ED, surrenders telephones to company
“The Enforcement Directorate, in tooth of settled legislation, summoned her to look prior to their workplaces in New Delhi and has confiscated her mobile phone with none written order for manufacturing of the mentioned telephone,” the plea said.
She in her plea has additionally contended that she was once pressured to provide her mobile phone while she was once summoned underneath Sections 50(2), 50(3) PMLA which don’t require manufacturing of the telephone.
“There’s no case towards the petitioner. The one foundation on which the petitioner has been implicated is on foundation of sure observation of few individuals who’ve given incriminating observation qua themselves in addition to allegedly towards the petitioner. Then again, such statements were extracted out of risk and coercion, which is obvious from the truth that on 10.03.2023, one Mr. Arun Ramachandran Pillai, has retracted his observation. The credibility of the statements presupposed to be towards the petitioner is underneath critical doubt,” the plea additionally said.
The ED had previous filed a caveat within the Preferrred Court docket during which it had instructed the SC to not move any orders till it hears the federal probe company.
Despite the fact that she was once grilled by means of the ED on March 11 within the cash laundering case and was once summoned by means of the ED once more for the 3rd time on March 16, because the SC had agreed to listing her plea on March 24, she had skipped the March 16 summons. She in flip had despatched her authorized consultant Soma Bharath (a BRS birthday celebration workplace bearer) who passed over to the investigating officer of the case a six-page illustration towards her deposition at the side of her financial institution observation, non-public and industry main points. Since she had skipped the summons, she was once once more grilled by means of the ED for greater than 10 hours on March 20 and was once additionally summoned on March 21.