Delhi Court Orders Three-Day CBI Custody For CM Arvind Kejriwal In Liquor Policy Case

A Delhi court on Wednesday (26 June) has placed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 3-day custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), just hours after his arrest in connection with the liquorZ excise policy case.

The CBI had initially requested a 5-day custody for the Delhi CM according to a report from The Indian Express. The court had reserved its order for 4 PM on CBI plea.

Sunita Kejriwal, wife of CM Arvind Kejriwal stated, "Arvind Kejriwal got bail on 20th June. Immediately ED got a stay. The very next day CBI made him an accused. And today he was arrested. The whole system is trying to ensure that the man does not come out of jail. This is not the law. This is a dictatorship, this is an emergency."

The investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) focuses on the alleged money trail, while the CBI case aims to establish corruption and bribery by public servants.

Kejriwal was previously arrested by the ED in March on money laundering charges.

The CBI had filed a corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) back in 2022, though Kejriwal was not named as an accused at that time.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the Delhi CM to withdraw his plea against the High Court’s interim stay on the trial court’s bail order in the ED case.

This decision came shortly after his arrest by the CBI in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Public Prosecutor DP Singh, on behalf of the CBI, stated, "We have traced the precise trail of 45 crores allegedly used in the Goa elections by the AAP."

He also accused AAP members of manipulating the policy. "There were some officers who weren't happy...they were not ready to sign the policy...he was changed," Singh added. 

Kejriwal has been held in Tihar Jail since his arrest by the ED on 21 March for the alleged money laundering case.