15 persons including Delhi LG signed off on Excise Policy: Arvind Kejriwal to Delhi High Court

Fifteen persons had signed off on the controversial Delhi excise policy of 2021 including the then Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Secretary, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the Delhi High Court in response to CBI's argument that Kejriwal was in the know how of the Excise policy..The Chief Minister who is currently in jail in connection with the scam arising out of the now scrapped excise policy said that if the Central Bureau of Investigation's logic to arrest him is accepted, then many bureaucrats and even the Delhi LG should be made accused."He (CBI counsel DP Singh) says Mr Kejriwal signed it. Yes, 15 other people also signed it. The LG signed it. I don't want to make LG a co-accused but Mr DP Singh, by his own logic, should make him an accused. The 50 bureaucrats including Chief Secretary, should also be co-accused," Kejriwal's counsel Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. He was responding to the argument by CBI counsel DP Singh that the Delhi CM was the mastermind behind the scam."He (Kejriwal) is the Sutradhar of the Excise Policy Scam. Every minister has been appointed by him. He appointed his secretariat and Vijay Nair is the part of that. He is the media coordinator," Singh said.Elaborating on the same, Singh said,"Mr Kejriwal is also the head of the cabinet. He signed it (the policy), got it circulated to his colleagues and everyone signed it in a day. This was during the Covid days. C Aravind is the IAS officer working under Mr. Manish Sisodia. He says that Vijay Nair brought a copy of this purported policy which was put in the computer and Mr. Kejriwal was present there. This is his direct involvement," Singh stated.After hearing both sides, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna reserved her verdict..The CBI arrested Kejriwal on June 26, while he was in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case probed by ED.He was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case but he continued to remain in jail since he is yet to get bail in the CBI case. Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions before the High Court - one seeking bail and another challenging his arrest by the CBI in case.The Court has already reserved its verdict earlier in Kejriwal's plea against arrest. The hearing today before the High Court was on his plea for bail..During the hearing today, CBI counsel DP Singh said that legality of the arrest was considered by the trial court and upheld. "As an Investigating Officer, I have made the justification before the trial court. The trial court has given a finding and upheld it," he said"Are they saying that if the IO decision has been upheld by trial judge, it can't be challenged here," asked Senior Advocate N Hariharan who was appearing on behalf of Kejriwal."In CBI, the agency takes a decision and therefore I justify that decision with material. The court says the reasons given are proper. Once I have given proper reasons, the arrest is legal," Singh replied.However, the Court reminded Singh that the arguments in the plea challenging legality was over and verdict reserved and today's hearing was on Kejriwal's bail plea."Don't argue on the matter which is already reserved. We are on bail today," said Justice Krishna..Singh then rebutted the argument by Kejriwal that he had already secured bail in the ED case. Singh said that the bail by Supreme Court was not on merits but because of the pendency of a Constitutional question raised.He was referring to the fact that the the Supreme Court stated that certain legal questions raised by Kejriwal in his plea challenging his arrest needed to be considered by a larger bench of the top court.Hence, while referring the same to a larger bench, the apex court had deemed it fit to release Kejriwal on interim bail."It is interim relief only (and) dependent on the Constitution Bench," Singh contended..Singh further said that Kejriwal's involvement in the scam became clear as their probe progressed."As we went ahead with the probe, his involvement started coming up. For me, material started coming and I saw that more material is coming against him. If we had shown all this earlier, there was a chance of witnesses being influenced and evidence disappearing," Singh said.Singh said that after Kejriwal's arrest, more evidence was unearthed and more people came forward as witnesses. "After his arrest, I got the evidence. His own party workers and candidates came out to answer. This was not forthcoming earlier. There is evidence from Punjab which was not forthcoming. His arrest is rare but it means the gravity is such and we have sufficient reasons. But for his arrest, the investigation could not have been completed. In the last one month the evidence that has come is of that nature... We have completed the probe and filed a chargesheet in a month," Singh argued..Singh also said that ₹44 crores in relation to the scam have been traced."We have traced the money in this case to the tune of ₹44 crores. This money went to Goa. Kejriwal himself told his candidates don't worry about the money, contest elections," Singh stated.He also rebutted the contention by Kejriwal that bail should be granted once chargesheet is filed.Singh said the court can keep him in prison till the trial is complete."They say a person is not to be behind bars once the chargesheet has been filed. There is a narrative which is being ingrained... Court can keep him behind bars so that his trial can be completed in the shortest time," it was stated.He also questioned Kejriwal's decision to directly approach the High Court for bail."There are certain circumstances in which bail can be heard directly by the High Court. But the High Court cannot become the first court for hearing of bail," Singh argued..AM Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, reiterated that Kejriwal's arrest by CBI was an insurance arrest done to ensure that he stays behind bars since the central agency felt that Kejriwal might get relief in money laundering case initiated by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the same excise policy matter.He also pointed how there was hardly any probe by CBI against Kejriwal for a year before he was suddenly arrested."Have you ever seen a case where in 2023, I am called as a witness, there are no summons after that, nothing and then in 2024 I am arrested," he said.He underscored that there is evidence against Kejriwal. "There is no direct evidence or anything against me. They keep referring to Vijay Nair as the prima donna, Vijay Nair got bail in the CBI case long ago," he stated.