Excise ‘scam’: CBI arrests Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, seeks 5-day custody

New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) The CBI formally arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday and sought a five-day custody of the AAP supremo in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam.

The central agency made the arrest before a city court after getting permission from Special Judge Amitabh Rawat, who passed the order on an application moved by it.

The CBI moved the application after the AAP leader was produced before the court from the Tihar Central Jail, where he is lodged in an excise scam money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Department.

In the application seeking Kejriwal’s custody, the CBI told the court that he was required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy in the matter.

It also said that the Delhi chief minister was required to be confronted with evidence and other people accused in the case.

The CBI accused Kejriwal of making “unnecessary allegations of malice”.

“Unnecessary allegations of malice are being made. We could have conducted these proceedings before the elections. I (CBI) am doing my job, satisfying every court,” the counsel representing the central agency said.

The counsel representing Kejriwal opposed the CBI’s plea seeking his custody, terming the remand application “totally vague”.

The defence also requested the judge to provide documents related to the CBI proceedings against Kejriwal, including the court order related to his interrogation in Tihar prison on Tuesday evening.