Kejri said Nair reported to Atishi, Bhardwaj, not him, ED tells court
Samad Hoque
New Delhi, April 1
Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj on Monday were named in the court for the first time after the Central agency told the court that Vijay Nair, former media in charge of the AAP, used to report to them and not Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
‘Names of ministers taken to get rid of AAP’
The names of our two senior leaders who are ministers in Delhi govt have figured because the BJP has realised that AAP will not finish by sending CM alone to jail and preparations for other leaders need to be done.— Jasmine Shah, AAP leader
Kejriwal can read books, watch TV
CM Arvind Kejriwal, who was sent to Tihar Jail, will begin his day at 6.30 am with tea and bread for breakfast. After a morning shower, he will either head to court or meet his legal team. At lunchtime, he will be served dal, sabzi and rotis or rice, typically between 10.30 am and 11 am, followed by lock-up until 3 pm. Tea and biscuits are provided at 3.30 pm, and meetings with lawyers are permitted at 4 pm. Dinner, consisting of the same options as lunch, is served at 5.30 pm, after which prisoners are locked up by 7 pm. He has access to television, except during scheduled activities, with 18-20 channels available. Medical staff are on hand 24×7 for emergencies, particularly for Kejriwal, who is diabetic and requires regular checkups. Family visits are allowed twice a week, subject to clearance from prison security. TNS
The CM was produced before the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja after his custody with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ended on Monday. Notably, senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia are already in Tihar Jail for their alleged involvement in the “liquor scam” and Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the agency, told the court that Kejriwal stated that Nair did not report to him and his interaction with him was limited. He further said he reported to Atishi and Bhardwaj.
Nair, former CEO of events company Only Much Louder (OML), had been associated with the AAP and was arrested by the CBI in 2022 in the case.
Both ministers were present in the courtroom when Raju took their name quoting Kejriwal. Senior leader Jasmine Shah, reacting to the ED statement, said, “When Nair was detained, he had said, ‘I do not report to the Chief Minister, I report to Atishi and Bhardwaj.’”
He questioned the agency that why did it raise the statement which it had in writing after over one-and-a-half years?
“Why were the names of these two senior leaders of ours, Atishi and Saurabh, who are ministers in the Delhi Government, mentioned? This indicates that the BJP has realised that merely putting Kejriwal in jail will not dismantle the party. Hence, they are preparing to target two or three more leaders. Their names have surfaced, even though they were already mentioned in previous statements,” he added. The ED had previously identified Kejriwal as the ‘kingpin and the key conspirator’ in the case and had sought his remand.
