Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody has been extended until July 3 in connection with the liquor excise policy case. A Delhi court, which was hearing the Delhi Chief Minister’s bail plea, scheduled the next hearing for July 3.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 over alleged irregularities to the now-defunct Delhi liquor policy.

On Wednesday, the ED requested the court to extend the AAP leader’s custody to continue their investigation into the case.

Kejriwal’s legal counsel opposed the ED’s request, arguing that there were insufficient grounds to justify Kejriwal’s custody. He said, “We are objecting to the judicial remand. The arrest has already been challenged. It’s sub judice before the Supreme Court.”

The ED informed the Rouse Avenue Court that it had evidence of Arvind Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore as kickbacks. The ED also told the court that out of Rs 100 linked to the case, Rs 45 crore has been traced.

The court also extended the judicial custody of Vinod Chauhan, another accused in the excise policy case, until July 3. Both defendants appeared via video conferencing from Tihar Jail.

Last month, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. The Delhi CM is a key player in the opposition INDIA bloc.

Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi government are battling allegations of corruption following the implementation of a policy to deregulate the sale of liquor in 2021. The policy was scrapped a year later and an inquiry into the purportedly corrupt distribution of licenses led to the arrest of several AAP leaders, including Kejriwal.