Punjab Junction Weekly Newspaper / 28 August 2024
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday told a Delhi court that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured that Rs 90 lakh would be given to each of the 40 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates during the 2022 Goa Assembly elections. This amount was to be given allegedly from “bribe money” received from the “South Group” (business persons from South India) in exchange for granting favors to them while drafting the now-scrapped excise policy.
“Kejriwal was in touch with the South Group… the entire money was diverted to AAP for Goa elections. Rs 90 lakh was to be given to each candidate,” said Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) D P Singh representing the CBI.
The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate had earlier claimed that “bribes” amounting to Rs 45 crore received from the “South Group” were funnelled into the AAP’s 2022 Assembly poll campaign in Goa.
“Durgesh Pathak (AAP MLA) was in charge of the AAP’s Goa election campaign… the money (for the elections) was transferred on the directions of Pathak,” SPP Singh added.
Kejriwal had told the candidates that they should not be worried about the funds required for the election campaign, the prosecutor said.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal, who appeared for the hearing via video conferencing from jail, sought the court’s permission to have lunch. “My sugar (level) is going down. May I please have lunch?” he said. The court gave him permission while extending his judicial custody till September 3.
After this, SPP Singh defined the role of P Sarath Chandra Reddy (member of the South Group and approver in the case). “He gave Rs 14 crore to K Kavitha (BRS leader) for a “sham” land deal. This Rs 14 crore was given to the AAP… Reddy was a ‘bribe-giver’, Singh said.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in the money laundering case linked to the excise policy. On June 26, the Chief Minister was formally arrested by the CBI in the corruption case linked to the “scam”.
He was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case on July 12, but remains in judicial custody in the corruption case.
Responding to the CBI’s contentions in court, the AAP hit out at the BJP and said the party, “through its agencies, continues to concoct unsubstantiated stories without any evidence. It has been over two years of hounding AAP leaders, but not a penny has been recovered to date”.
Chief Editor- Jasdeep Singh (National Award Winner)
