Supreme Court Seeks ED's Response On Arvind Kejriwal's Petition; Next Hearing On April 29
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice seeking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file its response on Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal”s petition by April 24. His plea was against Delhi High Court order upholding his arrest in a money laundering case linked with the Delhi Excise Policy Case. The top court will hear Arvind Kejriwal”s petition next on April 29.
Meanwhile, Delhi”s Rouse Avenue Court has extended Arvind Kejriwal”s judicial custody till April 23.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard the matter and came up with the decision. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. He is currently under judicial custody in Tihar jail. He is the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested in connection with the case.
In the plea to the apex court, Arvind Kejriwal claimed that his arrest was made in a “motivated manner” in the middle of the election cycle, Live mint reports. The arrest was proceeded after the Lok Sabha 2024 election schedule has been released, he said in the plea. It is a matter of illegal curtailment of liberty and Supreme Court should urgently interfere in it, he added.
Earlier, on April 9, the Delhi High Court has ratified his arrest by the federal agency. In the plea, AAP supremo held that his arrest was political vendetta particularly in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. However, the Court rejecting his arguments observed that investigation agency had sufficient evidence to validate the arrest. Besides, the High Court underlined that the Delhi Chief Minister had skipped nine ED summons.
With evidence under their consideration, the probe agency states that Delhi Chief Minister participated in a conspiracy and actively involved in utilising and concealing proceeds of crime. The federal agency investigation also indicates Kejriwal”s engagement both personally and in his capacity as the convenor of the AAP, Live mint quoted, as the High Court is saying.
Following High court”s dismissal of his petition, Delhi Chief Minister has moved to the top court.
Aside from Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been in jail since February last year in concoction with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case. Though Sanjay Singh was also arrested in the case, however, he recently got bail after spending six months in jail.
Meanwhile, in the liquor policy case, the Delhi court on Monday has extended BRS leader K Kavitha”s judicial custody till April 23.
