AAP Delhi office took care of expenditure during Goa election 2022, says ED

New Delhi, Mar 28:  The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its application for further custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, said that a statement from an AAP candidate in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections was obtained, revealing that his election expenditure was taken care of by the AAP office in Delhi.

“He (the candidate) has revealed that he was not having any money and his election expenditure (all expenses for rallies/events/public hoardings) was taken care of by the AAP Office Delhi only, through their associates,” read the remand application submitted in the Rouse Avenue Court.

The ED said that during the CM’s custody, summons was also issued to senior Excise Department officials in Punjab who were allegedly “involved in arm-twisting of certain wholesalers of Delhi when they refused to pay the demanded bribes in Delhi”.

“The factories of these wholesalers were either shut down or (they) not allowed to dispatch their goods in Punjab by these Punjab Excise Officials when the demands of bribes were not fulfilled in Delhi. However, they could not appear on these summons due to the Hooch tragedy in Sangrur, Punjab and sought some time,” it said.

The ED argued that Kejriwal needs to be interrogated further in the wake of several findings.

The remand application submitted by the ED stated that during his custodial interrogation, his statements were recorded on five consecutive days - March 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 - and that his responses were “evasive”.

The ED said that in addition, statements of three other persons were also recorded during this period.

“During the ED custody period, C. Arvind, PS to then Dy CM Manish Sisodia who was handed over the draft GoM report 2021-22 at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal and in his presence, was confronted with him,” the remand application read.

“Further, during the ED custody, data in one mobile phone (belonging to the arrestee’s wife) has been extracted and is being analysed. However, data from the other 4 digital devices seized during the search at Arvind Kejriwal’s premises on March 21, 2024 (belonging to the arrestee himself) are yet to be extracted as the arrestee has sought time in providing password/login credentials after consulting with his lawyers,” it said.

The ED also said that some of the documents/details such as movable/immovable property details, ITR, other financial details etc. were sought and Kejriwal said that he would tell his counsel/family members and the information would be shared by them.

“However, no details were furnished by him and his counsel/family members,” it said.

It said that during the custody period, the ED has called for the visitor register from the CM’s office/camp office. However, it is informed that there no registers are maintained there and the appointments with the CM are made on the online system/portal in the CM’s office. The information has been sought again from the CM’s office and its delivery is awaited.