'Arrest doesn't surprise me,' says Arvind Kejriwal as wife reads Delhi CM's letter

Days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal made her first media appearance on Saturday to convey the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor's message.

In a video statement, Sunita Kejriwal read out a letter from her husband, where he said, "Whether I am inside or outside, I will continue to serve the country every moment. Every moment of my life is dedicated to the country... My life has been a struggle, so this arrest does not surprise me... We have to make India the most powerful country in the world."

Referring to a scheme launched by AAP recently, the Delhi CM in a tone of assurance said, "Women in Delhi must be thinking that Kejriwal is behind bars. Who knows if they would get Rs 1000. I appeal to them to trust their brother, their son. There is no jail that can keep him behind bars for long. I will come out soon and keep my promise.”

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Kejriwal's colleagues at the Aam Aadmi Party, along with the Opposition, have been accusing the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of their involvement in his arrest. However, the AAP Convenor said that the saffron party should not be hated as they are "our brothers and sisters."

Kejriwal in ED custody for 6 days

On Friday, a court remanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Enforcement Directorate's custody till March 28 "for his detailed and sustained interrogation" regarding his role in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The court observed that custodial interrogation was required to "unearth the remaining proceeds of crime" and to "confront him with data retrieved from digital devices and material seized during the investigation".

The Delhi court remanded Kejriwal in ED custody for six days after the agency pressed for his custodial interrogation for 10 days while accusing the AAP leader of being "involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting the quid pro receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for Goa Assembly election".

With inputs from agencies