High Court does not immediately release Arvind Kejriwal from custody

New Delhi:

Arvind Kejriwal will remain in jail for at least one more night after the Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s arrest in connection with the liquor policy scam.

The court has issued a notice asking the ED to respond to Mr. Kejriwal’s petition and gave the investigating agency time until April 2 to respond. The next hearing in the case will be held on April 3.

Mr Kejriwal is currently in emergency room custody; he is being held in a detention center at the agency’s Delhi office.

The agency’s seven-day detention of the AAP leader expires on Thursday and he will return to court (this time at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court) where authorities are likely to seek further detention.

During a long and tense hearing today, Mr Kejriwal’s legal team slammed the Enforcement Directorate’s “delay tactics” after being asked for three weeks to respond.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared before the court, said the copy of the petition was served late and he needed time to study the document. Abhishek Singhvi, senior counsel appearing for Mr Kejriwal said the petition was filed on March 23. “The defects were later fixed. I am sure Mr. Raju did not want us to provide him with the defective copy… We shared the petition with him.”

In his petition, Kejriwal said his arrest violated his human rights and the Enforcement Directorate failed to prove the alleged crime.

“The arrest without trial shows that the current action is politically motivated,” Singhvi said, highlighting the AAP’s claim that the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal was aimed at disrupting the party’s campaign for next month’s Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Raju responded that the ED sought to file replies on the main matter and interim relief petitions. When the court pointed out that it had indicated that notice would be issued in the former, he said: “As far as interim relief is concerned, I am also entitled to file a reply. If I am not entitled to file a reply, then there is no right to file a reply.” Need to hear me out. I cannot be deprived of my right to submit a response. “

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in connection with the liquor policy scam that has roiled his AAP and triggered an outcry from the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mr Kejriwal was sent to jail this week until March 28.

The Enforcement Directorate believes that the now-repealed liquor policy provided high profit margins of 185% for retailers and 12% for wholesalers. Of this, 6% (over Rs 600 crore) was bribes and the money was allegedly used to fund AAP’s poll campaign.

The education ministry named the chief minister as a key co-conspirator in the case, but Mr Kejriwal and his party colleagues arrested in connection with the matter – former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, federal house member Sanjay Singh and former health minister Satyendar Jain – have both denied the claims. cost of.

The AAP and the opposition have slammed the BJP-led central government for using central agencies such as the Education Department to target rivals and critics ahead of the general elections. The AAP criticized Mr Kejriwal’s arrest on the grounds that it was timed to disrupt his plans to campaign for the party.

The BJP denies what the opposition describes as its use of central agencies.