'Witnesses were not coming forward due to Kejriwal's influence', Delhi HC said - He is a Magsaysay Award holder along with being the CM.
Despite getting interim bail from the Supreme Court in the ED money laundering case, the path for Arvind Kejriwal to come out of jail does not seem easy. The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a plea challenging Delhi's arrest by the CBI in a corruption case. The court justified Kejriwal's arrest by examining the facts.
Jagran correspondent, New Delhi. Even after getting interim bail from the Supreme Court in the ED’s money laundering case in the excise scam, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s troubles do not seem to be reducing.
The Delhi High Court justified Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI in the corruption case by examining the facts and disposed of the petition, directing him to approach the lower court to seek bail in the case.
In such a situation, it is not easy for Kejriwal to come out of jail. The petition challenging the arrest was dismissed by the court saying that the arrest made by the CBI cannot be called premeditated or malicious.
Delivering its verdict on Monday on a plea challenging the CBI arrest, a bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said the investigating agency has demonstrated Kejriwal’s control and influence over the witnesses, who could muster the courage to testify only after his arrest. .
In the 48-page decision, the court said that it is true that Arvind Kejriwal is not an ordinary citizen but is the Chief Minister, as well as the prestigious holder of the Magsaysay Award and the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal’s control and influence over the witnesses prima facie shows that the crime of excise scam has links to Punjab also.
Due to Kejriwal’s influence, witnesses related to the case were not coming forward. The court said that after Kejriwal’s arrest, witnesses came forward and recorded their statements. Not only this, two of them also became government witnesses.
The bench said that every court has to prima facie ensure that the extraordinary powers of arrest and remand are not misused or used carelessly by the police. The court responded to Kejriwal’s advocate’s plea that the CBI will file an FIR in the case in August 2022 and that there is no new evidence or basis in the memorandum memo.
The court said, CBI has stated that while respecting Kejriwal’s post as Chief Minister, the investigating agency exercised caution and proceeded with the proceedings of interrogating other persons and collecting evidence. After gathering sufficient evidence, the investigating agency sought approval to initiate action against Kejriwal, which was received on April 23, 2024.
