In the application seeking Kejriwal’s custody, the CBI told the court that he was required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy in the matter.

“We need his custodial interrogation… he is not even recognising that (co-accused) Vijay Nair was working under him. He says Nair was working under Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj. He puts the entire onus on Manish Sisodia (also accused in the case). He has to be confronted. He has to be shown documents,” the CBI said.

The agency claimed that the “south lobby” visited Delhi when the COVID-19 wave was at its peak.

Federal agencies had earlier claimed that a so-called “south lobby” dictated the formulation of the now-scrapped excise policy and that the chief minister was involved in all this.

“Deaths were happening. They prepared a report and gave it to Abhishek Boinpally. It was sent through Vijay Nair to Manish Sisodia. There was no meeting called. Signatures were obtained on the same day. Same day it was notified also. That was the haste… when there is Covid, who was at the helm of affairs? The chief minister. It is his direction. South lobby is sitting in Delhi and they see to it that it’s done, it’s notified,” the CBI told the court, in reference to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

When the court asked why was Kejriwal being arrested now, the CBI counsel said that the probe agency refrained from arresting him while the elections were going on.

“Court was considering his interim bail for elections. If at that time, I (CBI) would have arrested… That shows my restraint that I did not arrest him when he was campaigning,” the counsel said.

The counsel representing Kejriwal opposed the CBI’s plea seeking his custody, terming the remand application “totally vague”.

“This is a classic case of abuse of power,” the counsel said