Delhi crime branch notice to Arvind Kejriwal over BJP complaint

BJP has accused Kejriwal of making false allegations and offered to expose his "lies".

A Delhi Police officer arrived at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence on Friday evening to hand in a notice in connection with the complaint filed by senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking an investigation into the allegations levelled by Kejriwal regarding the poaching of MLAs, according to people aware of the matter.

On Saturday, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP offered ₹25 crore each to seven of his MLAs to topple his government. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

However, officials from the CM’s office said that the officer left without handing the notice over to them despite their “willingness to accept it”, a claim that was refuted by BJP in its entirety.

“The Delhi Police left without giving the notice. CM office officials were ready to take the notice, but the officer left without giving it,” the CM office said in a statement.

Read here: Delhi crime branch cops at Kejriwal's house over his MLA poaching claims

On Tuesday, Delhi president of BJP, Virendra Sachdeva, the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, north east Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari and other BJP leaders submitted a complaint to Delhi Police commissioner Sanjay Arora seeking an investigation into the AAP’s allegations that BJP was trying to poach seven AAP MLAs by offering them ₹25 crore each.

A senior officer of the Delhi Police’s crime branch said that an assistant commissioner of police of the unit was assigned to give the notice to Kejriwal under section 41 of the CrPC. “As per this section, police can summon a person to join the investigation if there is reason to believe that their interrogation is needed to establish the truth behind the allegations,” said the officer, asking not to be named.

BJP said that officials at the CM’s residence refused to accept the notice of Friday. “The crime branch had gone to CM’s house to give him a notice, but they (the officials) refused to accept the notice. The lies of Arvind Kejriwal are going to be exposed. We had said that with his fake poaching claims, Kejriwal wanted to create a sensation in Delhi because he has lost political grounds in Delhi,” Sachdeva said.

BJP has also termed the AAP’s allegations false and “not based on evidence”.

“We have sought an investigation into the allegations... We have challenged AAP leaders to present evidence in support of their allegations, but they have not yet shown anything evidence. Making false allegations against BJP leaders without proof has become the habit of AAP leaders, but this time we have decided that we will expose the lies of Kejriwal and that is why we have submitted a complaint,” said Sachdeva.

On Saturday, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP offered ₹25 crore each to seven of his MLAs to topple his government. The BJP termed the claim as “absurd and baseless”.

Commenting on an alleged conversation between AAP MLAs and BJP, Kejriwal posted on X: “We will arrest Kejriwal after a few days and then break the MLAs. Talks have been held with 21 MLAs, and we are talking to others as well. After that, we will topple the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. You should also come. Will give ₹25 crore and field you as BJP candidate in the election.” Kejriwal added that all the seven AAP MLAs refused to quit the party.

HT reached out AAP which did not respond to BJP’s remarks.