As his jail detention expired on Thursday, the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was brought by the ED before a Delhi court. His remand was prolonged by the court until April 1. At 1:45 p.m., Kejriwal was hauled before the Rouse Avenue court in relation to the money-laundering case involving the purported excise policy scheme.
Just weeks before the general elections, Kejriwal’s legal struggle over his alleged role in the capital’s contentious 2021–22 excise policy is continuing after the Delhi High Court on Wednesday denied him immediate respite from his arrest.
The case was scheduled for another hearing on April 3 by the high court, which also emphasised the necessity for the ED to respond in order to address the legal and validity issues presented in the CM’s plea.
The Delhi Chief Minister’s petition was heard by the Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma bench, which ruled that the respondent (ED) must be given a chance to file a reply in order to have an effective representational voice. If this opportunity is denied, it would be a denial of a fair trial and a violation of one of the natural justice principles, which applies to both parties, not just one.
As the House reconvened on Wednesday following a 10-day recess, there was much drama in the Delhi assembly as AAP lawmakers objected to Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED. Party MPs stormed the House well and chanted slogans while legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a counter-protest, calling for Kejriwal’s resignation.
Why Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested?
Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 following several mentions of him in the chargesheets pertaining to the excise policy issue.
The national convenor of the AAP is charged with requesting bribes from alcohol vendors in return for benefits. He has additionally been charged by the ED with being the “kingpin and key conspirator” behind the now-cancelled policy.
At least 14 prominent AAP figures, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, have already been detained by the agency in relation to the case, and the federal agency has petitioned the court for authorization to look into AAP’s role as a beneficiary of the “proceeds of crime”.
Kejriwal has refuted the allegations, claiming that the Centre, led by the BJP, is “manipulating investigative agencies for political motives”.
