Arvind Kejriwal summoned by CBI on April 16 in Delhi Excise Policy case

Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday summoned Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on April 16 to question him in the Delhi Excise Policy Case. Kejriwal will appear before the CBI on Sunday (April 16) at 11 AM, officials on Friday informed.

As per updates, the name of Delhi CM as a criminal has not been mentioned in any FIR and Chargesheet. However, the remand note with CBI and ED has his name mentioned.

CBI earlier confronted Secretary CM Arvind and Excise Commissioner A Gopi Krishna who were in Manish Sisodia’s Excise Department. This happened when Sisodia was on CBI remand. Arvind’s statement was earlier recorded under Section 164 CrPC before a magistrate, in which he revealed that Manish Sisodia was giving direct instructions regarding the excise policy.

CM Arvind, in his statements, revealed before ED and CBI that in March 2021, an order was taken at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to fix the profit margin of liquor traders at 12%. It was an oral order that was asked to be included in the draft policy. This order was taken in the presence of Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.

Sameer Mahendru had told the investigating agency that Kejriwal made a video call on Face Time from Vijay Nair’s phone and told him that Vijay Nair was his child. He asked them to count on Nair. Mahendru claims that crores of rupees were given in this case on the orders of Kejriwal, which was spent in the Goa elections.

According to the probe agency, YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal welcomed him to join the liquor business in Delhi. Apart from this, many leaders were involved in the excise scam by staying behind the scenes. In which the liquor lobby of the South has an important role.

Kejriwal has been asked to be present at the agency headquarters at 11 AM to answer queries of the investigating team, they said. The central probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped.

“It was further alleged that irregularities were committed, including modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the extension of L-1 license without approval etc. “It was also alleged that illegal gains on the count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts,” a CBI spokesperson had said after FIR filed on August 17, 2022.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh held a presser and launched a scathing attack on Centre. Sanjay Singh claimed that the action taken against Delhi CM is a conspiracy hatched by PM Modi-led BJP. “Arvind Kejriwal has been sent a CBI summon. I’d like to tell the PM – you and your Govt are covered in corruption from head to toe and Arvind Kejriwal’s fight will not stop with this CBI summon. The conspiracy hatched by you to arrest, jail and take action against Arvind Kejriwal on 16th April will not stifle his voice,” said AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on February 26 following several rounds of questioning.