Never Blamed Manish Sisodia For Liquor Policy Scam, CBI Sources Spreading False Narrative In Media: Arvind Kejriwal Tells Delhi Court

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday personally addressed city's Rouse Avenue Court while opposing CBI's plea seeking his custody in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The AAP leader denied media reports claiming that he had blamed Deputy CM Manish Sisodia for the scam. Kejriwal said,

“A false narrative is being spread by CBI sources in media that I have put the blame of liquor policy scam on Manish Sisodia. I have not made any such statement blaming Manish Sisodia or any other person. I had said that Manish Sisodia is innocent. Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am innocent. But CBI's plan is to malign us in the media. Please record that CBI sources have spread fake news in the media.”

Arvind Kejriwal addresses court: CBI sources se media me chalwaya ja raha hain ki maine ek bayaan diya hain ki maine apna sara dosh Manish Sisodia iske doshi hain. Maine Aisa koi bayaan nahi diya hain ki Manish Sisodia doshi hain ya saari cheez ka koi doshi hain. Maine kahan tha…

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 26, 2024

The Court has reserved its order, likely to be pronounced at 4.30 pm today. It orally remarked that what media reports is often "taken in pieces".

Kejriwal claimed the agency's idea is simply to sensationalize things and make headlines. 

“Idea inka ye hain ki front page pe ye headline ho ki Kejriwal ne apna thikra Manish Sisodia ke sar par foda. … They are sensationalizing the issue. It needs to be clarified. Ye top headline hongi saare newspapers ki. Inka maqsad hi sensationalize karne ka hain,” he said.

However, CBI counsel, Advocate DP Singh, opposed the submissions, stating that the agency has no "source". “It's not sources. I argued in court. No source said anything. And I argued on facts. We are not the sources. It shouldn't come like that,” Singh said.

The court then remarked that media tends to "pick up one line" and "it is very difficult to control media that way.”

Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari appeared for Kejriwal along with Advocate Vivek Jain.

The central probe agency had produced Kejriwal before the Rouse Avenue Courts today, after the Delhi High Court stayed his bail. The matter was heard by vacation judge Amitabh Rawat.

Live Updates from the hearing can be read here.

(inputs by Bhavya Singh)