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NEW DELHI (AFP) – Senior opposition Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal was moved to a high-security prison Monday after his arrest last month, a case supporters say is politically motivated and that comes ahead of elections.
Kejriwal, 55, chief minister of the capital Delhi, had been held since his arrest on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate, India’s main financial crimes agency.
On Monday, he was transferred to prison for 14 days as investigations continue, his party said.
“Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days,” Sanjeev Nasiar, legal chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or Common Man Party, told reporters.
Kejriwal’s government is accused of receiving kickbacks while handing out liquor licences to private companies. His supporters say Kejriwal’s arrest was aimed at sidelining challengers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kejriwal, who denies the allegations, is a key leader in an opposition alliance formed to challenge Modi in the marathon six-week national elections beginning April 19.
AAP’s Nasiar said this party can now apply for bail for Kejriwal, but it was not immediately clear what will happen once the initial 14 days in prison comes to an end — just days before voting begins. Many analysts see Modi’s re-election as a foregone conclusion.
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