Have concrete evidence, says ED opposing bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal in excise case

Have concrete evidence, says ED opposing bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal in excise case

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy and was granted interim bail by the SC on May 10 for 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s application seeking bail in the Delhi excise policy case saying that they have concrete evidence about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor’s involvement.

As vacation judge Niyay Bindu reserved verdict in Kejriwal’s bail application, additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju representing the ED asserted that the probe agency had documentary evidence to substantiate that part of proceeds of crime were used for Kejriwal’s hotel stay in Goa during the state polls.

Raju contended that the federal agency had evidence in the form of telephone calls and call data records (CDR) to prove that co accused Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly managed funds for the party campaign during the Goa assembly polls, received ₹45 crore as kickbacks from sources.

“There is documentary evidence that it (money for CMs hotel stay in Goa) was paid from his (co accused Chanpreet Singh) account. We also have documentary evidence to show that money was paid to him (Chanpreet) by Angadiya. Chanpreet was handling Goa elections, and he was bringing in persons. He had received money from Angadiya. This is corroborated with phone calls & CDR. These token numbers which have been recovered from these angadiya’s have direct contact with Kejriwal. It’s not that the ED is doing an investigation in the air. There is concrete evidence,” the law officer submitted.

Kejriwal had approached the city court seeking bail days before the end of his 21-days interim bail.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 and was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 for 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

Kejriwal surrendered on June 2 before the jail authorities after the top court declined to extend the interim bail.

While the CM represented by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary argued that his client has not been made as an accused in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case and pointed out that the probe agency had instead called Kejriwal as a witness.

“It is not for ED to guide the CBI. It is an independent agency which will take the call,” Chaudhary said.

The senior lawyer asserted that ED had no evidence to prove that AAP received ₹45crore as kickback and substantiate their allegations that his client had connections with the angadiya’s who had paid ₹45crore in cash to Chanpreet Singh or that former AAP communications in charge Vijay Nair, who allegedly collected bribes from liquor owners, was his close associate.

The court on Thursday also reserved its order in Kejriwal’s application for permitting his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to participate via video conference in his examination by the medical board.