Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi HC against arrest in excise policy case

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took action on Saturday by filing a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Sources within his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) revealed that his legal team would urgently request the high court to hear the matter, preferably on Sunday.

On Friday, a trial court had ordered his remand in ED’s custody until March 28 for extensive interrogation.

In his plea, Kejriwal, who was detained by the ED on Friday night, argued that his arrest and subsequent remand were unlawful, emphasizing his entitlement to immediate release from custody.

The ED’s arrest of Kejriwal came shortly after the high court declined to grant him protection from coercive measures by the central anti-money laundering agency.

Previously, Kejriwal had petitioned the high court to annul all proceedings, including summonses issued against him. In this plea, he highlighted his role as a vocal critic of the ruling party, an opposition leader, and a member of the INDIA bloc. Kejriwal asserted that the ED, being under the control of the Centre, has been weaponized.

The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently annulled.

Key AAP figures, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are currently in judicial custody in relation to the case.

Kejriwal’s name has been recurrently cited in the charge sheets filed by the ED.

The agency alleges that the accused were in communication with Kejriwal during the formulation of the excise policy, resulting in undue benefits for them. In return, they purportedly provided kickbacks to the AAP.

(With PTI inputs)