NEW DELHI: Contesting
ED's affidavit
opposing
interim bail
in the
Supreme Court
, Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal
’s legal team highlighted the absence of incriminating evidence after two years of investigation into the alleged liquor scam. They argued that the ED heavily relied on statements from individuals associated with the BJP, casting doubts on the impartiality of the investigation.
Kejriwal’s legal team also filed a formal complaint with the Supreme Court, suggesting that the ED's affidavit is a legal violation as the case is already scheduled for a final decision in the SC tomorrow and the affidavit was submitted without prior approval from the SC.
“Some of these statements do not even indicate the commission of money laundering or any predicate offence. All of the evidence against Arvind Kejriwal as shown in the Grounds of Arrest have come after the arrest of all these people, leading to a suspicion that the arrest has been systematically used as a device to coerce statements against Shri Arvind Kejriwal,” AAP said in a statement.
Kejriwal's arrest on March 21, 2024, just days after the announcement of general elections and during the model code of conduct, sparked allegations by the party of political ‘conspiracy’ behind the move. The AAP claimed that the arrest tilted the electoral playing field in favor of the ruling BJP, compromising the principles of free and fair elections.
AAP contended that the statements provided by the witnesses followed a pattern where Kejriwal was not implicated initially, but was later named after repeated objections from the ED regarding their bail. They accused the ED of selectively ignoring statements that did not implicate Kejriwal, suggesting a bias in the investigation process. The party cited examples such as Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, who received an NDA Lok Sabha ticket, facilitating his son's bail through a statement. Another person, P Sarath Reddy, allegedly transferred Rs 60 crores to the BJP's account through electoral bonds to secure his own bail.
AAP said that there is no evidence implicating any AAP leader in the alleged illegal activities, pointing out that the ED itself admitted Kejriwal's non-involvement in certain proceedings. The party denounced Kejriwal's arrest as a blatant disregard for due process and the rule of law.
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