The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Wednesday extended Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody till July 3. The court was hearing Kejriwal's petition seeking regular bail.
The Enforcement Directorate told the Rouse Avenue Court that it had evidence of Arvind Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore as kickbacks in the now withdrawn liquor policy case.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said the court had taken cognisance of the chargesheet filed on the allegation of money laundering in the case.
He also said the rejection of the bail application of co-accused, including former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia, in the money laundering case showed that the court was accepting the charge of money laundering.
"The court's cognisance of money laundering shows that prima facie the court is convinced that a case of money laundering is made here. The CBI probe revealed that Kejriwal had demanded a bribe of Rs 100 crore. We had collected evidence even before the arrest," ASG Raju, representing the ED, said.
The Delhi Chief Minister was produced before the court through video conference.
Kejriwal's lawyer Vikram Chaudhary argued that the AAP supremo had not been named in any chargesheet filed under PMLA. "Even in the FIR lodged by the CBI, Kejriwal has not been named as an accused," Chaudhary said.
"Whatever allegations the ED is making, it seems that they are prosecuting me not under the PMLA but in the CBI case," he further said.
He also pointed out that the Supreme Court, in its order on May 10, had said that Kejriwal could file a bail petition in the lower court.
Kejriwal's lawyer said that the entire case was based only on the statements of witnesses who were arrested earlier, and were promised bail.
"They were promised pardon... they are not saints. These people were lured. The credibility of these people is also questioned. The whole case started in August 2022 and Kejriwal's arrest took place in March 2024, just before the elections. There is also a malice behind the timing of Kejriwal's arrest," he further said.
