Enforcement Directorate’s mission is to finish AAP, Arvind Kejriwal tells Delhi court

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accuses ED of political conspiracy in excise policy scam case, questioning arrest and evidence.

The Enforcement Directorate’s mission is to finish the Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told a court in New Delhi on March 28, even as his remand to the custody of the ED was extended till April 1. When produced in court, Mr. Kejriwal said he did not wish to oppose the ED’s request for further custody, but termed the alleged excise policy scam as a “political conspiracy”, adding that the “people of the country will reply in the matter”.

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Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the remand extension order as the initial seven-day custody period ended on March 28. The ED had sought seven more days; the court granted a four-day extension. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Central agency on March 21 in a money laundering case filed in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, and has been in its custody since then.

Personally arguing his case in Hindi, Mr. Kejriwal said that the ED had two missions, the first of which was to finish off the AAP. “ED ka mission kewal aur kewal mujhe fasana tha [ED’s only mission was to implicate me],” said the AAP’s national convenor.

Alleging that the ED was running an extortion racket in the name of its investigation, Mr. Kejriwal pointed out that a firm named in the alleged excise policy scam had donated money to the ruling BJP, after which its owners managed to secure bail.

“Sarath Reddy [director of Aurobindo Pharma] has donated ₹55 crore to the BJP. I have proof that it’s an extortion racket,” he said.

Questioning his arrest, the Delhi CM claimed that the only evidence against him was statements made by the co-accused in the case. “There were three statements, but the ED only produced those statements in the court in which I am named. Why? There are statements in which I am not named. Why were they not produced in the court?” Mr. Kejriwal said, asking whether a sitting Chief Minister could be arrested merely on the basis of the statements of a few accused-turned-approvers.