‘CBI Is Poetic, Kejriwal’s Arrest Is Insurance Arrest’: AAP Supremo’s Lawyer Counters Probe Agency

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi who is Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel in now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy case has countered CBI’s allegations against Delhi CM inside Delhi High Court. Singhvi has scoffed at the probe agency for its allegations against AAP supremo.

"Sutradhar is the word used. CBI is poetic. The first time the excise policy went into making is September 4, 2020. There were nine expert committees for one year. These included four departments. After one year, in July 2021, for the first time, the policy is published. At least 50 bureaucrats were involved. The Lieutenant Governor signs it too. The only thing which happened was that the Lieutenant Governor and Mr Kejriwal signed it," Singhvi was quoted as saying before the court.

Countering the arguments by CBI, he said, "I don't want to make the Lieutenant Governor a co-accused, but Mr DP Singh(CBI lawyer), by his own logic, should make him an accused. The 50 bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, should also be co-accused.”

Singhvi said the probe agency is trying to catch Kejriwal by "presumptions and hypothesis".

"They refer to AAP spending Rs 4 crore on publicity. I wonder how much money the ruling party has spent on publicity. I wonder if CBI will ask them the question. Today there is no direct evidence, no recovery. There is pure hearsay," he said.

Singhvi said, “the AAP leader meets the triple test for bail -- he is not a flight risk, he is unlikely to tamper with evidence or to influence witnesses.”

Singhvi said Kejriwal's arrest is an "insurance arrest".

"I got bail thrice, in one form or another, in the ED case. Since I was arrested by the CBI, there has been no confrontation, nothing," Singhvi said.

"Have you ever seen a case where in 2023, I am called as a witness, there are no summons after that, and then in 2024 I am arrested?" he added.

Earlier, CBI filed its final chargesheet in the case against Kejriwal and five others, including AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak. The agency earlier filed a main charge sheet and four supplementaries in the case.