In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise policy scam case. The arrest came after the CBI obtained a remand order from a special court, allowing the agency to interrogate Kejriwal for three days.
The CBI had sought a five-day custody of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, but the court granted a three-day remand. During the court proceedings, the CBI’s counsel stated that conducting the probe is the agency’s prerogative, and the law does not mandate that the accused be informed.
The CBI accused Kejriwal of making “unnecessary allegations of malice,” stating they could have conducted the proceedings before the elections. The agency also mentioned that the Delhi CM does not have the right to advance notice.
Following the arrest, Kejriwal withdrew his plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s order granting an interim stay on the trial court’s bail order in the alleged excise scam from the Supreme Court.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption surrounding its formulation and execution. The ED and the CBI alleged that license holders were granted undue favors during the policy modification.
