Excise Policy Case: Delhi Court To Consider CBI Charge Sheet Against Kejriwal On Aug 12

The Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled August 12 to consider the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five others in the excise policy case.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja deferred the matter for CBI submissions on the chargesheet’s cognizance.

On Monday, the CBI named Kejriwal, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak, businessman P Sarath Reddy, Vinod Chauhan, Ashish Mathur, and Amit Arora in its final chargesheet.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s regular bail plea in the CBI case. The CBI opposed the bail, referring to Kejriwal as the “sutradhar” of the case, alleging he played a central role in the excise policy scam. The CBI claimed that Kejriwal signed the policy and circulated it for approval in a single day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CBI also mentioned discovering Rs 44 crores linked to the case. Despite lacking direct evidence, the CBI presented testimonies and statements indicating Kejriwal’s involvement, arguing that the investigation would have faced obstacles if Kejriwal wasn’t arrested.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, countered that there was no direct evidence against Kejriwal, questioning the CBI’s selective targeting and highlighting the policy’s broader context involving multiple approvals.

The court’s order on Kejriwal’s bail plea is awaited.

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