New Delhi: In a major blow to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena has recommended an NIA probe against him for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned “Khalistani” terrorist outfit “Sikhs for Justice”. The move also holds significance given the Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday to consider interim bail for him in view of the Lok Sabha elections.
Reacting to this, AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it “yet another conspiracy against Mr. Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP”. He added: “They are losing all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.”
In a letter to the Union home secretary on May 3, the L-G’s office said that Mr Saixena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP had allegedly received $16 million in funding from extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar.
Bhullar, who is in Amritsar Central Jail, was convicted for the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in the national capital. He was sentenced to death by a designated Tada court on August 25, 2001, and is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.
In the letter, Mr Saxena said: “The electronic evidence adduced by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic examination.” The letter said that the complaint is made against a chief minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation.
The complaint refers to a video released by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, where he alleged that the Kejriwal-led AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.
The complainant alleged that Mr Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurdwara Richmond Hills, New York, during his visit in 2014. The Delhi CM had allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to the AAP. Bhullar was moved to Amritsar Central Jail from Delhi's Tihar Jail on health grounds in June 2015.
The complaint said in a series of posts on social media, former AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizada had also shared purported pictures of Mr Kejriwal's meeting with Khalistani leaders.
The L-G’s letter came into the public domain just a day prior to the Supreme Court’s consideration of granting interim bail to Mr Kejrwal in view of the ongoing parliamentary polls.
The AAP chief, who is in Tihar jail, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. As his judicial custody will end on Tuesday, he will most likely be produced before the Rouse Avenue court through video-conferencing.
Last week, the apex court had asked additional solicitor-general S.V. Raju to take instructions (from the Centre) on what conditions should be imposed in case it decides to grant interim bail to Mr Kejriwal.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had told Mr Raju, appearing for the ED, that the hearing on Mr Kejriwal's plea against arrest was likely to take time and therefore the court was considering hearing the anti-money laundering probe agency on interim bail to him.
When Mr Raju said he would be opposing interim bail to Mr Kejriwal, the bench said: “We are saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail.”
Justice Khanna said: “Please also take instructions on what are the conditions (to be put in place in case it decides to grant interim bail)… because of the position you hold, whether you should be signing any files, official files.”
Referring to the interim bail granted to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Mr Raju told the bench: “Look at the statements he is making.” He said: “Your statement will be blown out of proportion.” “That’s the problem with the open court,” Justice Khanna said, adding, that the court is not saying that it will grant or not grant bail. “We are not saying either way… We have been open about it. Do not assume anything.”
The high court had on April 9 upheld Mr Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
