Arvind Kejriwal Sent to Judicial Custody Till June 5 As He Returns to Tihar Jail After Surrender

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Sunday sent Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till June 5, noting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently moved an application seeking Kejriwal's custody. The application was pending before the court as the AAP chief was released from prison on May 10 on an interim bail.

Today after his surrender, the application was taken up by the Duty Judge of the Rouse Avenue Court that decided to send Kejriwal to judicial custody till Wednesday.

Moments before his surrender and subsequent return to Tihar on Sunday, the Delhi CM said he was going back to jail not because he was involved in corruption but for the reason that he had raised voice against "dictatorship".

Kejriwal was granted an interim bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. The bail expired on June 1, the day when the seventh and last phase of the general elections was held.

Addressing his party workers and leaders at the party office before surrendering at the Tihar jail, Kejriwal said he campaigned during the Lok Sabha polls to "save" the country.

"I am going back to jail not because I was involved in corruption but because I raised voice against dictatorship," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.

Terming all exit polls predicting a third term for the BJP-led NDA “fake”, Kejriwal claimed, “Yesterday, exit polls were out and I can give you in writing that they are fake. In Rajasthan, there are 25 parliamentary seats but one exit poll gave them 33 seats. What was the reason that they had to release fake exit poll results?”

Exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the NDA expected to win a big majority in the polls.

"They are not forming government on June 4. These exit polls are mind games to drive you into depression," Kejriwal told AAP workers and leaders.

"I have told all the INDIA bloc parties to be vigilant and not let their counting agents leave early. Counting agents have to stay till the end when the EVM votes and VVPATs are tallied. Even if the candidate is losing, they have to stay till the end," the AAP chief reportedly said.

Counting of votes of the general elections will be held on June 4.

"I was given a 21-day (relief) by the Supreme Court. These 21 days were unforgettable. I did not waste even a minute. I campaigned for saving the country. The AAP is not important, it is secondary. The country comes first," Kejriwal said.

He further claimed that PM Modi had accepted in an interview that not even a single penny has been recovered in connection with the excise policy case. Before reaching party office, Kejriwal paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat and then offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place.

"I paid obeisance at Rajghat. Gandhiji is our inspiration for ending dictatorship. I went to the Hanuman Mandir. I have the blessings of Bajrangbali. June 4 is Tuesday. Bajrangbali will destroy dictatorship," he added.  

Sources in Tihar jail told Republic, “As soon as Kejriwal reaches Tihar, after all the paperwork will be completed and his medical checkup will be done by the Tihar administration during which everything from his sugar level to his weight will be checked”.

All the preparations were completed from the administration side, the officials said.

Meanwhile, as Kejriwal left for Tihar, Delhi minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai told reporters: “He gave just one message to everyone: that this fight against tyranny will continue and we are ready to make any sacrifices that are needed. We have to continue with the work of people after he goes to jail”.

Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal was seen accompanying him. AAP leaders, including Atishi, Kailash Gehlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Sandeep Pathak, and party leaders Durgesh Pathak, Rakhi Birla and Reena Gupta were also present. 

Stressing “we have to protect the country”, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The chief minister told us that he doesn't know how long will it will take (for him to come out), and so we have to protect the government, the party and the country”.