New Delhi: In the latest jolt to Aam Adami Party (AAP), Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case. The plea also challenged the remand order passed by the trial court in the same case.
The Aam Aadmi Party does not agree with the court’s decision. CM Kejriwal will go to the Supreme Court against Delhi court’s decision. The lawyers of CM Kejriwal could go to the Supreme Court tomorrow, ANI reported, citing sources.
Aam Aadmi Party does not agree with the decision of the Delhi High Court. Kejriwal will go to the Supreme Court against HC’s decision. Kejriwal can go to the Supreme Court tomorrow itself: AAP Sources
Delhi High Court today dismissed CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his…
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The court stated that Kejriwal’s arrest is not in contravention of Law and remand can’t be termed “illegal”.
Durin the hearing, the bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma stated that central agency is in the possession of enough material which had led them to arrest Kejriwal. The Delhi CM’s non cooperative behaviour in the investigation and delay caused by him was also impacting those in judicial custody.
The evidences collected by the central agency hints that CM Kejriwal was the mastermind and was actively involved in concealment of proceeds of crime.
The court also said that the accused’s arrest and remand have to be examined as per law and not according to the timing of elections.
According to the court, Delhi CM’s objections pertaining to the timing of his arrest before General Elections do not hold up, especially considering there’s no evidence of foul play by the Enforcement Directorate. Through his plea, Arvind Kejriwal contends that the Enforcement Directorate couldn’t establish his implication under Section 3 during his arrest. This segment involves actions like hiding, possessing, acquiring, or using illicitly gained wealth and representing it as clean. Kejriwal found himself in custody on March 21st, courtesy of the Enforcement Directorate linked with the excise policy incident.
The trial court on April 1, sent Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15, 2024. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.
The agency also claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.
While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.
Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case. The latter, however, was granted bail by the Supreme Court last week.
