Arvind Kejriwal money laundering case: “Offence is clear, do we not arrest people because elections are near,” ED asks Delhi CM

Defending its case against Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, the Enforcement Directorate rebuked claims of timing of the arrest, and said that money laundering is worse than a murder as it is committed coldly.

The court has reserved it judgment in Kejriwal's plea opposing the arrest in the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Earlier on, senior advocate AM Singhvi representing Kejriwal highlighted the timing of the arrest, with the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching. However, Raju said that the criminals are supposed to be arrested and supposed to be put in jail.


"I can commit murder and commit rape but say to the police.. no no no don’t arrest me...elections are near. Any political leader will come and say, We will get immunity because elections are near…This is absolutely bogus. In this way, we can arrest nobody because the elections are near? What kind of law are we laying? Money laundering offence is worse than murder because murder is committed in the heat of the moment but money laundering is done coldly," Raju argued.


"The election is just the bogey to divert the attention of the court from the main issue, from the scam that runs into 100s of crores. A large number of mobile phones have been destroyed...You act through the middleman and when things come to you, you say I don't know anything, I didn't do anything," he said.

Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said that as far as the investigation against Kejrwal was concerned, it was not over.

"The offence of money laundering that has taken place is clear and beyond doubt. The court has taken cognisance of the earlier prosecution complaints filed. Cognisance is of the offence and not of the offender," Raju said.

In his arguments, Raju told the HC that all the large payments which were given to the vendors of the AAP campaign were paid in cash and the same were not accounted for in the books of accounts.

Role of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi Excise Policy case

The Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi had remanded Kejriwal to a 15-day judicial custody till April 15 in an ongoing probe in the now-defunct Excise Policy case brought about by the Delhi government run by AAP. Kejriwal has been called the "kingpin" in the alleged scam by the investigative agency. He has been accused of giving the ED "evasive replies" and concealing details relevant to the investigation.

"Sh Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi Excise Scam in collusion with Ministers of Delhi Govt, AAP leaders and other persons.. Sh Arvind Kejriwal was directly involved in the formulation of the Excise Policy 2021-22.

"This policy was being drafted considering the favours to be granted to the South Group and was formed in collusion with Sh Vijay Nair, Sh Manish Sisodia and members representatives of the South Group," said the response.

Kejriwal is involved in the use of proceeds of crime thus generated in the Goa election campaign of the AAP of which he is the convenor and the ultimate decision-maker, it added.