Phone Arvind Kejriwal Used During Alleged Liquor Scam Missing: Sources

New Delhi:

The phone used by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal two years ago, when the alleged liquor scam was happening, is missing, sources in the Enforcement Directorate have said. When asked about it, the Chief Minister has said that he does not know where it is, sources said, quoting him. This, sources said would be the 171st phone, presumably containing relevant data in the Delhi liquor case that has gone missing. Earlier 170 such phones — belonging to 36 accused — could not be located, the ED has claimed.

Eventually, the agency managed to locate 17 phones from which they recovered data and pieced the case together, the ED has mentioned in its chargesheet in which senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia has been named as an accused.

Investigators have alleged that the rest of the phones have been broken to destroy evidence. So far, phones and laptops have provided the maximum amount of evidence in the case, the agency had said in the chargesheet.

But the maximum number of accused had changed thei phones and laptops between May 2022 and August 2022, the agency has said.

AAP has scoffed at the claims. Sources in the party alleged that the investigation of the Enforcement Directorate “is conducted from the BJP office”. The Enforcement Directorate, they alleged, is the “political partner of the BJP”.

Mr Kejriwal, arrested late on Thursday evening, si being questioned by the ED. He will be in the custody of the agency till March 28.

The Delhi Chief Minister has been discharging his duties from the ED lock-up, his party has claimed. On Sunday, he had issued his first order since arrest regarding drinking water and drainage in the national capital, Delhi minister Atishi said.

ED sources, though, questioned the claim, saying Mr Kejriwal has not been given a computer or paper in the lock-up.

For the arrested leaders of AAP, Holi would be a dismal event that they would celebrate from behind the bars.