A Delhi court has sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for three days in a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
The CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party leader on Wednesday, a day after he was interrogated in Tihar jail where he has been lodged in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
During the hearing, the CBI sought five-day custody of Kejriwal, saying he was required to be questioned 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.
"We need his custodial interrogation... he is not even recognising that (co-accused) Vijay Nair was working under him. He says Nair was working under Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj. He puts the entire onus on Manish Sisodia (also accused in the case). He has to be confronted. He has to be shown documents," the CBI said.
In his submission, Kejriwal claimed innocence in the case and said his former deputy Manish Sisodia as well as the AAP are innocent.
"It is being shown in the media, citing CBI sources, that I have put the entire blame on Manish Sisodia in a statement. I have not given any statement that Sisodia is guilty or anyone else is guilty. I have said Sisodia is innocent, AAP is innocent, I am innocent,” he said.
The chief minister also accused the central agency of sensationalising the matter.
However, dismissing his charges, the CBI said: "Unnecessary allegation of malice are being made. We could have conducted these proceedings before the elections. I (CBI) am doing my job, satisfying every court."
When the court asked about the timing of the arrest, the CBI claimed that they had refrained from arresting the chief minister while the Lok Sabha elections were going on.
After hearing both the sides, the court remanded Kejriwal in three-day CBI custody.
