New Delhi:

Opposition politicians arrested last month – weeks before the start of Lok Sabha elections – in the alleged liquor policy scam – including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and a Telangana MLA – have been sent to extended judicial custody for 14 days. The Aam Aadmi Party chief and Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader – both lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail – will be produced in court on May 7.

A petition by the Delhi Chief Minister is pending in the Supreme Court, challenging his arrest on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges. The court heard the case on April 15, but refused to grant immediate relief to Mr Kejriwal until a response from the federal agency.

A few days ago, the Delhi High Court had rejected the same plea, saying the ED had filed sufficient material to support its claim – that Mr Kejriwal was allegedly involved in making the now-canceled policy. And were demanding a bribe of Rs 100 crore to finance AAP’s Punjab. Goa election campaign.

In a related case earlier today, Mr Kejriwal, a Type 2 diabetes patient, got his first shot of insulin in (reportedly) 32 days. He was given the injection after his blood sugar levels rose worryingly to 320 mg/dl. Mr Kejriwal had moved the court last week seeking insulin injection, but the ED had opposed the plea, claiming the chief minister had deliberately spiked glucose levels and applied for medical bail. Had eaten foods high in sugar.

On Monday, a Delhi court directed a panel of experts from the Centre-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences to assess the chief minister’s condition and establish whether insulin was actually required.

The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have denied all allegations, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of “political vendetta” against a rival and a member of the Congress-led Indian opposition faction ahead of the general election. The AAP and the opposition have repeatedly claimed that federal investigative agencies – such as the Enforcement Directorate – target opposition leaders on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Center has denied this claim.

Ms Kavitha – daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao – will know the outcome of her bail plea in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on May 2. Special Judge Kaveri Bavja reserved her judgment on Monday. The petition is against the arrest of Ms Kavita by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which detained her when she was in judicial custody in the ED case.

The case against the BRS leader is that she was part of the ‘South Group’ – a group of businessmen that allegedly paid a bribe of Rs 600 crore to AAP for allotment of liquor licenses.

Ms Kavita has also denied the allegations and, like Mr Kejriwal, has questioned the timing of the ED, CBI action against her, as it came in the weeks and days before the general elections.

The ED has also arrested two other AAP leaders in the case – former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested in February last year and has been in jail since then, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested in October. Had gone and got bail. earlier this month.

While granting bail to Mr Singh, the Supreme Court said the investigating agencies have so far failed to recover any of the alleged bribe money. The court remarked, “Nothing has been recovered… there is no trace of the money allegedly received by you as bribe from ‘South Group’.”

You and Ms. Kavita’s BRS colleagues have also said the same thing.