Cooperative, But Evasive: Police After Questioning Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal was questioned on Friday over the alleged assault of chief secretary Anshu Prakash in February.

File photo of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

(Photo: PTI)

The Delhi police on Friday, 18 May, questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at his residence over the alleged assault of Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in the presence of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in February.

Addressing the media after the questioning, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Harendra Singh said that Kejriwal was questioned for three hours.

He has been cooperative, but he evaded some questions. He had requested a copy of the video recording but we have denied his request.

Harendra Singh, Additional DCP

Prakash was allegedly assaulted during a meeting at Kejriwal's official residence on 19 February.

‘It’s a Politically Motivated Case’: Kejriwal

Kejriwal also issued a statement after he was questioned, calling the whole case a "fake" and "politically motivated" one.

In the entire history of the country, this is the first that a CM has been questioned and his house raided by the police in such a fake case. This has only one goal - to trouble us and to defame us.

Arvind Kejriwal

He went on to say that Friday's questioning by the police happened in a "conducive environment", adding that it is not the police which is at fault.

The police is also under pressure to lodge false cases... We will assist the investigative agencies in all the cases.

Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal had, on Thursday, agreed to join the investigation in the case.

In a letter addressed to Station House Officer of Civil Lines Police Station, the chief minister had said he would be available at his camp office at 5 pm on Friday. The police had sent him a notice on 16 May to join the investigation at 11 am.

The chief minister had also demanded he be allowed to video record the proceedings. However, the police had said the proceedings will be video recorded, but the chief minister won't be allowed to do so, reported PTI.

Last month, Kejriwal’s private secretary Bibhav Kumar was also questioned in connection with the case.

Police have already questioned the 11 AAP MLAs, who were present at the chief minister’s residence for the meeting.

Two MLAs Amantullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal were arrested in the case. Kejriwal, his former advisor VK Jain and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia were also present at the meeting.

The police might also summon Sisodia in the case, reported PTI. Meanwhile, Jain has already been questioned.

On 23 February, a police team had examined the CCTV system installed at the chief minister's residence in the Civil Lines area and seized the hard disk. The forensic report on the hard disk is still awaited.

The "conspiracy" of assault on Prakash was "hatched" at Kejriwal's residence so it was no surprise that he would be questioned by the police, Vijender Gupta, BJP legislator and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly had alleged.

"The chief minister should cooperate in investigation instead of indulging in politics over it," Gupta had said.

The alleged assault on the chief secretary had triggered a bitter tussle between the Delhi government and its bureaucracy.

(With inputs from PTI)

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