National
ED's claims on evidence destruction ‘baseless’, arrest ‘politically motivated’: CM Kejriwal in affidavit to SC
New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has filed a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court in response to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) submissions, wherein the probe agency had claimed that a total of over 170 mobile phones were changed/destroyed by accused with others during the period of alleged excise policy scam.
Kejriwal, in his affidavit, has refuted the ED’s claims of evidence destruction or disappearance concerning mobile phones, saying that there is no evidence to support such allegations against him. The AAP supremo has condemned his arrest as politically motivated, arguing that it unfairly advantages the ruling party during the ongoing elections, compromising the principle of ‘free and fair elections.’
He labelled the ED’s claims of “large-scale destruction of evidence” as baseless and devoid of merit, calling them as a desperate attempt to rationalise his unlawful arrest.
The CM has criticised the ED’s conduct, accusing them of high-handedness and a disregard for due process.
The AAP leader portrayed the case as a prime example of the central government’s misuse of agencies like the ED to suppress political opponents. He reiterated his stance that the ED’s actions were part of a concerted effort to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders.
In the last hearing, the top court had issued notice to ED and had ordered Kejriwal’s special leave petition to be listed in the week commencing April 29 for further hearing.
The apex court had asked the federal anti-money laundering agency to file its reply by April 24 and allowed the petitioner side to file a rejoinder affidavit, if any, by April 27.
The affidavit filed by ED’s Deputy Director said that Kejriwal’s petition was devoid of merit and his arrest was necessitated due to his “total non-co-operative attitude”.
The affidavit said that Kejriwal was avoiding interrogation by not remaining present before the investigating officer despite being summoned nine times and while recording his statement under section 17 of the PMLA he was avoiding answering questions by being evasive and totally non-cooperative.
CM Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging the dismissal of his plea by the Delhi High Court.
Earlier, a bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court took note of the ED’s submission that the federal anti-money laundering agency had enough material, including statements from approvers and allegations of involvement in the formulation of the excise policy, which had led them to arrest him.
The ED has denied that the arrest of Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case was based on belated contradictory or coerced statements of the other accused obtained in exchange for no objection for their bail and said that its case was strong.
The ED, in its affidavit, claimed that CM Kejriwal had made submission before the Delhi PMLA court, stating that he had no objection to the custody/remand being extended further.
“The petitioner has waived his right to question his custody as of today and the petitioner cannot be allowed to argue that his custody as of today is illegal and the present petition is liable to be dismissed on this ground alone,” read the ED’s affidavit.
The agency also claimed that CM Kejriwal was asked to provide the password of his mobile phones during the search on March 21 and then during ED Custody the same was asked again and his reply was recorded in his statement wherein he refused to share the same.
“Even his statements during custody would reveal that despite being confronted with materials, the petitioner chose to give completely evasive answers,” it added.
The ED arrested CM Kejriwal on March 21 after questioning him for over two hours at his official residence in Delhi and is presently lodged in Tihar jail.
The ED has termed CM Kejriwal the “kingpin and the key conspirator” of the alleged excise scam in collusion with other ministers of the Delhi government, AAP leaders, and other persons.
–IANS
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Hubballi, (Karnataka) July 6 (IANS) Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, on Saturday demanded a probe into bomb threats allegedly issued to the Sri Rama Sena for opening helplines for victims of ‘love jihad’.
Speaking to reporters in Hubballi on Saturday, Joshi said, “The closure of Facebook accounts of Sri Rama Sena is wrong. It is also wrong to issue bomb threats. Violence isn’t right always. The state government should investigate the matter.”
Earlier, addressing the media, Gangadhar Kulkarni, a senior Sri Rama Sena leader stated that after they began a campaign against ‘love jihad’ by opening a helpline on May 29, bomb threats and life threats were given.
The Sena has got more than 170 such calls already and the threat calls are made through internet, he alleged.
The Facebook accounts of all Sri Rama Sena members and the main page have been closed for the last two days, Kulkarni alleged.
“We don’t know whether this was done by jihadis or the government. This has been done to prevent the awareness campaign on love jihad by us,” Kulkarni slammed.
“All Facebook accounts should be allowed to operate, failing which, statewide protests would be launched,” Kulkarni warned.
–IANS
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Srinagar, July 6 (IANS) An Army soldier has died in an encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday.
Officials said that an Army soldier, injured during the encounter between the security forces and the hiding terrorists in a village of Kulgam district, succumbed to critical injuries in the hospital.
Security forces started a cordon and search operation in Modergam village of Kulgam early on Saturday, following reports about the presence of terrorists in the village.
“As the security forces came close to the hiding terrorists, they fired at the security forces triggering an encounter,” officials said.
The exchange of fire between the security forces and terrorists is continuing in the area.
–IANS
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Jaipur, July 6 (IANS) Heavy rain disrupted normal life in Rajasthan on Saturday causing waterlogging, traffic jams, and the Tonk district administration announcing the closure of schools.
Incessant rain in Kota for the past two days increased Parvati River’s water levels, leading to the closure of the road connecting Sheopur and Gwalior in MP.
The Meteorological Department said that the Baran district recorded the highest rainfall (195 mm) while Parbatsar and Nagaur, registered 71 mm.
In the past 24 hours, Deoli in Tonk 155 mm rain, Malpura (144 mm), Peeplu (144 mm), Tonk tehsil (137 mm), Aligarh (130 mm), 126 mm in Todaraisingh and Nagarfort (115 mm).
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department officials have warned of heavy to very heavy rain in the state till July 8.
Further on July 9 and 10, heavy rainfall has been forecast for eastern Rajasthan.
–IANS
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Srinagar, July 6, (IANS) An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces at Hadipora area at Modergam in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Saturday.
“Encounter started at Modergam village of Kulgam District. Police and security forces are on job,” police said.
The operation started after a joint team of police and security forces got an input about the presence of terrorists in that area.
There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Kashmir in the recent past in which many terrorists have been eliminated.
–IANS
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Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (IANS) With the Election Commission all set to announce the dates for bypolls to two Assembly constituencies and for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, the BJP launched its campaign at Palakkad on Saturday.
The Assembly bye-elections at Palakkad and Chelakkara were necessitated after sitting legislators Shafi Paramabil (Congress at Palakkad) and K Radhakrishnan (CPI-M at Chelakkara) vacated their seats after winning the Lok Sabha polls.
The Palakkad unit of the BJP launched its campaign after a function to felicitate the two party Cabinet members from Kerala.
Suresh Gopi won from the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat while George Kurian a senior party leader will soon be brought into the Rajya Sabha from another state.
Gopi said that just like the people at Thrissur gave BJP the seat, he was confident that the people at Palakkad would also give the seat to the party.
The BJP has now started its search for a suitable candidate for Palakkad and the name of Kerala BJP President, K Surendran, is doing the rounds.
A popular leader, he came a distant third in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat which has now been vacated by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Apart from K Surendran, the names of Sobha Surendran who contested the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat and Krishnakumar who contested the Palakkad Lok Sabha seat are also doing the rounds.
The BJP is also seriously looking at apolitical candidates like legendary railway engineer E Sreedharan, as the party is confident that such people can help it open its account in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.
This is especially true at Palakkad as the BJP candidates at the previous two Assembly elections, finished second, pushing the CPI(M) candidates to third place.
Meanwhile at Chelakkara which is a reserved constituency for Scheduled Caste candidates, where the BJP doesn’t hold much of a chance, the party is not going to sit idle and might bring in TN Sarassu, a retired principal of a state-run college.
TN Sarassu had been harassed by the student wing of the CPI(M) on the day she retired from service a few years ago.
Incidentally, TN Sarassu was the BJP’s candidate in the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, in which the Chelakkara Assembly constituency is located.
Even though she lost the Lok Sabha polls, she was able to increase the BJP’s votes in a major way, as compared to the 2019 General Elections.
Incidentally with the bye-election to the Wayanad Lok Sabha polls also being held and the Congress announcing Priyanka Gandhi as its candidate, there will be a galaxy of leaders from the Congress and BJP arriving for campaigning for the seat.
These leaders are also expected to campaign at Palakkad and Chelakkara, thereby giving these constituencies a feel of high-voltage campaigns.
–IANS
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