Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi High Court on Tuesday will give the verdict in the matter of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in the multi-crore liquor policy scam.
Earlier on April 3, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal found himself in a very tight spot of a legal battle as the Delhi High Court reserved its verdict on his petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The arrest was made in connection with a multi crore liquor policy scam in the national capital. During the court proceedings, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma indicated that a decision would be reserved after hearing arguments from both sides.
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Represented by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, Kejriwal questioned the timing of his arrest and argued that it violated fundamental constitutional principles, including those related to free and fair elections.
Currently in judicial custody, Kejriwal faced opposition from the ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who argued that the arrest was justified based on prima facie evidence of money laundering. Raju emphasized the importance of arresting criminals and dismissed allegations of bias against the ED.
He also alleged that the money trail is found in the liquor scam.
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The ED’s stance was that the investigation against Kejriwal was still in its initial stages, and the agency had acted based on evidence. The court proceedings also revealed that Kejriwal’s petition challenged only the first remand order and not subsequent ones. Kejriwal’s arrest followed the denial of protection from coercive action by the Delhi High Court, and the case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22.
After being remanded to judicial custody on April 1, Kejriwal’s legal team sought relief from the court, which refused interim relief and directed the ED to respond to the challenge against Kejriwal’s arrest and custody.
