The ED had arrested Kejriwal last Thursday in connection with an alleged money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
The central agency has accused the AAP chief of “being involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting the quid pro receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for the (2022) Goa Assembly elections”.
The court had directed that Kejriwal be produced before it on March 28. The ED can either seek an extension of the CM’s remand or seek court directions for sending him to judicial custody.
Kejriwal’s appearance in the court Thursday has triggered more buzz as his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, said that he will then do a “big expose” on the alleged liquor policy scam. The CM did not get immediate relief from the Delhi High Court Wednesday, which refused to interfere with his arrest by the ED.
“The ED has conducted more than 250 raids. They are searching for the money of this so-called scam. They have found nothing yet… Arvind Kejriwal has said he will reveal everything in the court on March 28. He will reveal where the money of the liquor scam is… He will also provide proof,” Sunita said in a video address on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the ED has summoned the AAP’s Goa chief Amit Palekar and party leader Ramrao Wagh, asking them to appear before it on Thursday in connection with the same case.
ED summons to Mahua Moitra
The ED has issued a fresh summons to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in an alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case on March 28, official sources said.
The 49-year-old TMC leader was called for questioning by the central agency earlier too.
Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for “unethical conduct”, has been renominated by her party from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
In context: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided Moitra’s premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday, days after the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal directed the agency to investigate the allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Dubey has alleged that Moitra asked questions in the House in exchange for cash and gifts from Dubai-based Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.
Transactions linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the ED’s scanner apart from a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers, sources said.
Mahayuti candidates
As fissures appear in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction is likely to announce its candidates on Thursday. “The remaining candidates of the Mahayuti alliance will be declared on March 28,” Deputy CM Ajit Pawar had said on Tuesday while declaring the candidature of sitting MP Sunil Tatkare from the Raigad constituency.
The BJP has so far declared its candidates for 23 seats in Maharashtra. However, its allies, the Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar NCP, have not declared most of their nominees.
Last day of nominations in Bihar
Thursday is the last day for filing nominations for the four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, which will go to the polls in the first phase. These constituencies, along with 98 other seats, will go to the polls on April 19. The last date for nominations for the other seats was Wednesday but due to a festival in Bihar, the Election Commission (EC) had announced Thursday as the last day to file nominations in Bihar.
– With PTI inputs