Delhi High Court denies interim relief, allowing ED to arrest Kejriwal from his official residence.
Delhi, 22 March, 24: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case. The arrest followed the Delhi High Court's dismissal of Kejriwal's plea for interim relief in the excise policy case, leading to his apprehension from his official residence.
Kejriwal's arrest is linked to his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case. Prior to the arrest, ED officials conducted searches and questioned Kejriwal. The court's decision not to shield the AAP leader from arrest, despite receiving nine summonses from the ED earlier, marked a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings.
The excise policy case and the ensuing ED investigation have placed Kejriwal under intense scrutiny, with allegations of money laundering being investigated. This arrest represents a significant development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding Kejriwal and the excise policy case.
As the case progresses, stakeholders await further developments and responses from both the ED and Kejriwal's legal team regarding the next steps in the legal proceedings.
According to the ED, Kejriwal's involvement in the case pertains to issues such as policy formulation, pre-finalization meetings, and allegations of bribery. The ED's sixth charge sheet filed on December 2, 2023, alleged that kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated through the policy were used by the AAP for its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022.
The now-revoked excise policy aimed to rejuvenate Delhi's liquor business by replacing a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee system for traders. The Lieutenant Governor ordered a probe into alleged irregularities, with AAP accusing his predecessor of making last-minute changes resulting in lower revenue than anticipated.
Notably, senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in judicial custody in connection with the case. Sisodia, the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, while Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, was arrested by the ED on October 5.
