Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody extended till September 3

The Rouse Avenue Court has extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until September 3, as part of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) ongoing investigation into the now-abandoned Delhi Excise Policy case 2021-22.

The court has also reserved its decision on the CBI’s fourth supplementary chargesheet, which names Kejriwal and five others as accused, with the next hearing scheduled for September 3.

Kejriwal, who leads the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), remains in Delhi’s Tihar jail while investigations continue into alleged corruption and money laundering related to the excise policy, with both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducting the probes.

On Tuesday, the CBI informed the Rouse Avenue Court that it possesses evidence indicating that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal allegedly promised Rs 90 lakh to each candidate in 40 Goa constituencies.

The agency also presented evidence of financial involvement from the South Group. According to the CBI, “Durgesh Pathak was in charge of overseeing the Goa election. All election expenses were incurred based on his instructions. He is a Delhi MLA. There is also evidence of funds from the South Group”.

Also Read: Supreme Court defers hearing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea to September 5

These disclosures came up during the CBI’s arguments concerning the supplementary chargesheet in the Delhi excise policy case involving Kejriwal and others. Additionally, the CBI has filed an application requesting a 14-day extension of Kejriwal’s judicial custody. The agency pointed out that another accused, Vinod Chauhan, had been in contact with the personal assistant of K Kavitha, who had previously been granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case overseen by the ED.

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of Kejriwal’s bail plea in the excise policy case to September 5, following a request from the CBI for additional time to submit its affidavit. Kejriwal has filed two petitions: one challenging the denial of his bail and another contesting his arrest by the CBI.

In its affidavit, the CBI asserted that all significant decisions concerning the now-repealed excise policy were made under Kejriwal’s direction, in collaboration with former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Meanwhile, the AAP has accused the BJP and CBI of conspiring to keep Arvind Kejriwal imprisoned. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Manish Sisodia alleged that the CBI was stalling court proceedings while leaking information to the media to influence public opinion, stating, “The CBI is merely a puppet under the BJP’s control to keep Arvind Kejriwal behind bars”.