Politically motivated: Kapil Sibal on CBI summons to Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: As Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the CBI office in the national capital on Sunday for questioning in connection with the excise policy case, Rajya Sabha MP and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal termed the summons by the premier investigating agency as "politically motivated". Speaking to ANI, the former Congress leader said, "There is no doubt this (CBI summons to Kejriwal) is politically motivated"

"Why would you keep Sisodia in jail for so long? Why would you keep Jain in jail for so long? For what purpose? What purpose are they serving?" questioned Sibal, also a senior advocate. "They (CBI) said kickbacks worth Rs 100 crore were received. Can they name one public servant to whom the bribe was paid? Not one. What are they keeping him in for?" he said.

"Why aren't the courts granting him (Sisodia) bail? I think it is unfortunate that the whole system has collapsed," Sibal said. Earlier, the CBI summoned Kejriwal for questioning in the case on Sunday.

Meanwhile, AAP workers staged a protest in the national capital on Sunday over the CBI summons to party chief Kejriwal. Several AAP workers were detained by Delhi Police at Kashmiri Gate. "If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest," Delhi Chief Minister said on Saturday, a day after CBI summoned him for questioning in connection with the excise policy case.

Addressing a press conference earlier, the Delhi CM said, "Tomorrow, they (CBI) have called me and I will definitely go. If Arvind Kejriwal is corrupt then there is no one in this world who is honest... If BJP has ordered CBI to arrest me, then CBI will obviously follow their instructions." Later, taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said appropriate cases will be filed against the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate officials for "perjury and producing false evidence in courts".

"We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts," he tweeted. Kejriwal also claimed that he knew he would be next in line to be summoned by the CBI since the day he spoke against corruption in the Delhi assembly.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a key aide of Kejriwal, is in jail over alleged irregularities in the excise case. Sisodia was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy in Delhi.

The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26. Later, on March 9, the ED arrested him, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval.

The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their account books to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

Suspecting that AAP workers may create ruckus during the questioning of Kejriwal, the Delhi Police had imposed section 144 outside the CBI's headquarters.

The AAP workers took to street all over the capital. They had called workers from other state too. According to information, AAP workers from Punjab and other state are staging protest.

Rapid Action Forces have been deployed at Rajghat, ITO, CBI Headquarters and in Lutyens zone.

Over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, will be deployed outside the CBI headquarters here at Lodhi Road.

According to officials, security measures have been heightened outside the AAP office located near Rouse Avenue Court.