Arvind Kejriwal Challenges ED Arrest in Delhi HC Over Alleged Liquor Policy Scam

New Delhi, March 23 ,2024 – Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken legal action against his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to a money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor policy scam. Kejriwal’s move comes after he was arrested on March 21 following a division bench of the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant him interim protection from coercive action.

Kejriwal, who was detained around 9 PM on March 21, was subsequently presented before the Special PMLA Court at Rouse Avenue District Court. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja has remanded Kejriwal to ED custody until March 28, based on the probe agency’s allegations that he had ignored nine summonses issued to him.

Accompanying Kejriwal in the case are two other Aam Aadmi Party leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, both of whom are presently in judicial custody.

In response to the ED’s raid on his residence, Kejriwal swiftly filed an urgent application in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on his arrest. However, lacking an available bench, the Supreme Court could not provide the requested stay, leading to Kejriwal’s arrest.

Kejriwal’s legal team contends that his arrest and subsequent remand are unlawful, seeking his immediate release. Urging an expedited hearing of the matter, Kejriwal has petitioned the Delhi High Court.

Previously, Kejriwal had challenged the summonses issued to him by the central probe agency and had sought interim protection, with a hearing scheduled for April 22.

Earlier complaints filed by the ED against Kejriwal at the Rouse Avenue Courts in Delhi alleged his non-compliance with summonses. Kejriwal, in turn, had dismissed the summonses as illegal.

Allegations against Kejriwal suggest his involvement in orchestrating a new excise policy in the capital, purportedly resulting in kickbacks amounting to nearly Rs 100 crore, allegedly funneled into the Party Fund.

Kejriwal’s legal battle against his arrest highlights the escalating tensions surrounding the alleged liquor policy scam, prompting significant legal scrutiny.