The whole system is trying to ensure that her husband does not come out of jail and that this is akin to “dictatorship” and “Emergency”. - Sunita Kejriwal
On Wednesday (26 June), Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI from inside Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. The CBI asked for five-day custody but the court granted only a 3-day custody. But why has CBI now arrested Kejriwal and how is it different from the ED’s?
First Let’s Look At The Chain Of Events From The Last Few Days
On June 20, the trial court granted bail to Kejriwal. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the Delhi High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court then halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order.
The next day, the Supreme Court refused to pass an immediate order and advised Arvind Kejriwal to wait for the High Court's decision. On June 25, the High Court finally put a stay on the bail order.
Kejriwal Also Withdrew His Petition In The SC
Following the June 25 High Court’s order, a day after (June 26) , Kejriwal was produced in the trial court where the CBI sought his custody and the court granted it. CBI had examined Kejriwal in Delhi’s Tihar Jail last evening (25 June) and recorded his statement.
Following this, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, withdrew a plea in the Supreme Court informing that they will file a new comprehensive appeal since new developments are taking place in the case every day.
Difference Between ED And CBI Case
In Kejriwal’s case, The ED has been investigating the case from a money laundering perspective and alleged that the scam was to give the wholesale liquor business to private entities and the policy was “formulated with deliberate loopholes” that “promoted cartel formations through the back door” to benefit AAP leaders.
On the other hand, the CBI is probing the case against Kejriwal from the point of view of corruption and bribe-taking by public servants. Its investigation pertains to the alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the policy.
What Did Sunita Kejriwal Say?
During the CBI’s remand period, the court allowed the chief minister's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes.
Shortly after the arrest, Sunita Kejriwal, alleged the whole system is trying to ensure that her husband does not come out of jail and that this is akin to “dictatorship” and “Emergency”.
The AAP lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the arrest, saying the “dictator” crossed all limits of cruelty. The party stated that “today when there was a possibility of CM Arvind Kejriwal getting bail, BJP panicked and got him arrested by CBI in a fake case”.
This CBI arrest has now paved the way for further examination of the case's merits as well as a need for a balanced judicial approach. The Kejriwal controversy is likely to continue amid intense scrutiny from all quarters.
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