ED to produce Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal before court

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to appear before a special PMLA court here on Friday, officials said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is seeking his remand for custodial interrogation regarding the money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The 55-year-old politician, who also serves as the national convenor and chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was apprehended by the federal probe agency following searches at his official residence at Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines area of the national capital on Thursday.

A team of medical professionals was observed entering the ED office in central Delhi in the morning, where Kejriwal has been detained after the arrest.

It is understood that the ED requested their presence for a basic medical examination of the politician before his court appearance.

The ED is anticipated to request a 10-day custody of Kejriwal from the court, citing his alleged “non-cooperation” in the investigation and to clarify his personal involvement and that of his party in connection with the liquor policy and associated irregularities.

The agency may also mention its intention to confront Kejriwal with other arrested individuals and witnesses, including BRS leader K Kavitha, who was detained last week, once custody is secured.

Kejriwal’s legal team is expected to challenge this request, denouncing the ED’s actions as “illegal.” Following standard procedure, the agency typically conducts a brief interrogation of the detainee before preparing remand papers to be presented in court.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened around both the ED office at the A P J Abdul Kalam Road and the CM’s official residence, with additional barricades erected by Delhi Police personnel and central armed police forces (CAPFs). This measure aims to manage the influx of press teams and curious onlookers.

Kejriwal’s name has been recurrently mentioned in the charge sheets filed by the ED in this case. The agency alleges that the accused were in communication with Kejriwal to shape the excise policy, resulting in undue benefits for them, in exchange for which they allegedly provided kickbacks to the AAP.

A total of 16 individuals have been apprehended in connection with this case thus far, with the ED having filed six chargesheets. (With inputs from PTI)