On Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal submitted his response to the Directorate of Enforcement's (ED) affidavit in the Supreme Court. He asserted that there is "no proof or material" demonstrating that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had received funds or engaged in kickbacks from the South group, particularly in relation to the Goa election campaign.
"Not a single Rupee was traced back to the AAP, and the allegations put forth in this regard are devoid of any tangible evidence, rendering them vague and baseless without any corroboration," Kejriwal said in response to the ED affidavit. "No proof of even any cash payment was given. There exists no proof or material demonstrating that the AAP received funds or advanced kickbacks from the South group, let alone utilised them in the Goa election campaign. Not a single Rupee was traced back to the AAP, and the allegations put forth in this regard are devoid of any tangible evidence, rendering them vague, baseless without any corroboration," the affidavit stated.
Recently, the ED lodged an affidavit in the Supreme Court, countering Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal's plea against his potential arrest. Responding to the ED's affidavit, Kejriwal emphasized that the agency is misusing its authority to make arrests, particularly during the midst of a general election.
"This timeline establishes the fact that Kejriwal has been arrested intentionally with a malafide intent without any necessity to arrest," stated the rejoinder of the Chief Minister. The present case is a "classic case" of how the ruling party-led central government has misused the central agency- ED and its wide powers under PMLA to crush its biggest political opponent -Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders, it added.
In his response, Kejriwal also highlighted the lack of substantial evidence implicating him in any criminal activities related to the predicate offence. He emphasized that there is no indication of his involvement in concealing, possessing, acquiring, or utilizing proceeds of crime to warrant the application of Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.