New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded a Rs 100 crore bribe from the South Group for his party, India's central probe agency claimed as it opposed the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
The Enforcement Directorate told the court on June 19 that if AAP, which has been arrayed as an accused in the case, commits a crime, the person in charge of the party will be held culpable. It added that when former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was made an accused in the case, AAP was not named as an accused.
“Kejriwal demanded bribe. He asked for bribe of Rs 100 crore. Kejriwal asked for funds for the AAP. Kejriwal demanded kickbacks from South Group. You can’t say he is not guilty of offense. If AAP commits a crime, then every person in charge of the party will be deemed to be guilty,” the ED told Special Judge Niyay Bindu. “Now AAP has been made an accused. Kejriwal is responsible for the conduct (of the party),” it added.
According to the ED and the CBI, the South Group is a cartel of politicians, business people, and others who lobbied for liquor licenses for which they paid bribes to Delhi’s ruling party.
Meanwhile, the judge also extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody after he was produced before the court through video conference on expiry of his judicial custody granted earlier. The counsel appearing for Kejriwal opposed the ED’s application seeking an extension of his judicial custody, saying there were no grounds to justify his continued incarceration.
