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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and minister Atishi. (File pic/PTI)
The agency said Kejriwal had failed to explain why Nair, who was also a key accused till he became a government witness, had ‘more than 10 meetings…with co-accused persons involved in the liquor business’. The AAP chief ‘evaded” this and other questions, said the directorate
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said in the Rouse Avenue Court that Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal told the central agency that excise policy scam accused Vijay Nair reported to minister Atishi.
According to the agency, Kejriwal also named Saurabh Bhardwaj while being questioned in connection with the case. Nair was previously the chief of AAP’s media communication cell.
Who Is Vijay Nair, Delhi Liquorgate Accused Kejriwal Claims ‘Reports to Atishi’ As Per ED?
The court on Monday sent the Delhi chief minister to judicial custody till April 15 after additional solicitor general SV Raju noted that the ED was not seeking any further custody.
The agency said Kejriwal had failed to explain why Nair, who was also a key accused till he became a government witness, had “more than 10 meetings…with co-accused persons involved in the liquor business”. The AAP chief “evaded” this and other questions, said the directorate.
“Kejriwal told during interrogation that Vijay Nair used to report not to me but to Atishi. Vijay Nair has been close to Kejriwal. Kejriwal said during interrogation that Nair did not report to him, he used to report to Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj,” the ASG told the court.
The central agency said in its application that Kejriwal was evasive in replying to questions on why Vijay Nair worked from the CM’s camp office by feigning unawareness about people who work there.
“It is noteworthy that Vijay Nair is not some small time volunteer of the AAP but is its Head of Media and Communications. He (CM Kejriwal) was also shown different WhatsApp chats showing the involvement of Vijay Nair, who was a close associate of the arrestee and lived and worked very closely with the arrestee,” it read.
The central agency sought Kejriwal’s judicial custody, citing “non-cooperative behaviour”.
“He did not reveal the password for digital devices… His conduct was totally non-cooperative. He is not giving his phone and deliberately misleading the investigation by giving evasive replies,” the ED told the court.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate, which alleged that he was a key conspirator in the money laundering case linked with the Delhi excise policy case.
“… there are reports Arvind Kejriwal said prime accused Vijay Nair used to report to Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj. Delhi Government’s liquor policy situation is becoming clearer. It is to be seen if Kejriwal resigns or heads towards a new politics…” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said. “Lalu Yadav at least resigned when he was going to jail (the Rashtriya Janata Dal patriarch handed the reigns to his wife, Rabri Devi) but he (Mr Kejriwal) hasn’t resigned yet.”
According to the agency, the Delhi CM received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from the so-called ‘South Group’ lobby of liquor traders for formulating the Delhi excise policy and using that capital in the Goa and Punjab assembly elections.
“The names of our two senior leaders who are ministers in Delhi government — Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj — have figured because the BJP has realised that AAP will not shut down by sending Kejriwal alone to jail and preparations for other leaders need to done,” Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Jasmine Shah told the media.
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