Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to Tihar Jail on Monday after being remanded in judicial custody till April 15 in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case, even as the Aam Aadmi Party dug in its heels asserting that he will remain the CM no matter how long he is kept in prison.
Kejriwal is the fourth top AAP leader to be lodged in the Tihar Jail after his former deputy Manish Sisodia, ex-health minister Satyendar Jain and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
On Monday, AAP sources indicated that Kejriwal’s wife Sunita, who virtually made her political debut at the INDIA bloc’s “Loktantra Bachao” rally at the Ramlila ground a day earlier, is likely to assume a “significant role” in the party in the coming days.
Arvind Kejriwal was brought to Tihar at 4 pm and lodged in Jail Number 2, a prison official said, adding that he will be kept under watch for 24 hours.
“His medical examination was conducted. His sugar level was a bit low, but medicines were given to him as per our jail doctors’ advice,” said the official.
While Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, arrested in the same case, are lodged in Jail Number 1 and 5 respectively, BRS leader K Kavitha is in Jail Number 6. Jain, who is facing a different money laundering case, is in Jail Number 7.
While sending the chief minister to judicial custody earlier in the day, a city court noted the Enforcement Directorate’s contention that his release could hamper the investigation in the case.
The chief minister was produced in the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after his Enforcement Directorate custody came to an end.
“Since the investigation of the case is stated to be pending qua role of the arrestee, for unearthing the further proceeds of crime and identifying the other person who may be involved or connected, the accused is remanded to judicial custody till April 15,” the judge said.
In its remand application, the federal agency accused Kejriwal of being “evasive” and “concealing information” during his questioning after his arrest on March 21.
It said the chief minister’s statements were taken over a period of nine days and he was confronted with the statements of different witnesses, approvers and other co-accused. The plea listed “few of the glaring examples of evasive and misleading replies” given by Kejriwal.
“He (Kejriwal) stated that Vijay Nair did not report to him but to Aatishi and Saurav Bharadwaj and his interaction with Nair was limited,” it said.
The statements of Nair, however, revealed that he stayed in a cabinet minister’s bungalow and worked from the chief minister’s camp office, the remand application said.
