‘Was asked 56 questions, entire case farzi’: What Arvind Kejriwal said after CBI quizzing
AMN / WEB DESK
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI for over 9 hours in connection with the liquor policy case today.
He appeared before CBI at 11 AM. Earlier, the CBI had issued summons to Mr. Kejriwal for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.
The investigation in the Delhi excise policy case began last year after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe, citing discrepancies in the policy. CBI had lodged FIR against 15 accused in this case, for alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in the policy. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who is among the 15 accused named in the FIR, was arrested by the CBI in February this year. The new Excise policy was later scrapped amid allegations of corruption and irregularities in its drafting and implementation.
Kejriwal said that he answered all the questions put up by the central agency while maintaining that the entire case was farzi (fabricated).
Addressing the press after his over 9 hour questioning at the CBI headquarters in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said he was asked 56 questions by the probe agency and he answered all. “CBI questioning was conducted for 9.5 hours. I answered all the questions. The entire alleged liquor scam is false and bad politics. AAP is ‘kattar imaandaar party’. They want to finish AAP but the country’s people are with us,” Kejriwal said.
Arvind Kejriwal was issued summons by the CBI on Friday seeking his appearance as a witness before the investigation team to answer their queries on the inputs generated during the probe in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was also arrested on February 26.
After his arrest, Manish Sisodia quit as deputy chief minister of Delhi. Sisodia was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate last month and remains in judicial custody with his bail plea rejected by the special court on March 31.
While dismissing the bail plea, a Delhi court said Sisodia played the “most important and vital role in the criminal conspiracy” and had been “deeply involved” in formulating and implementing the said policy to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the said conspiracy. The court termed Sisodia “prima facie” as “the architect” of the criminal conspiracy.
Ahead of Arvind Kejriwal’s questioning on Sunday, AAP leaders and workers held protests in many areas of the national capital. Several top leaders, including Raghav Chadha and Atishi, were detained by the police.
The leaders were released from Najafgarh police station after Arvind Kejriwal left the CBI office.