No relief to Arvind Kejriwal for now, hearing against arrest after two weeks

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, April 15, 2024: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his March 21 arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), two weeks later after April 29. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo’s plea was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on April 9.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has extended the judicial custody of the Chief Minister, who is currently lodged at the Tihar Jail, till April 23.

The two-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard Kejriwal’s plea today against his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquour policy case.

The court also issued a notice to the ED and sought a response from the investigating agency by April 24.

"Issue notice, returnable on the week commencing 29th April, 2024," the two-judge bench added.

Appearing on behalf of Kejriwal, senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court, "I am seeking a short date in this case, this Friday. There are selective leaks in the case."

To this, Justice Khanna replied, "Will give you a short date, but the date suggested by you is not possible."

Singhvi also said that "the petitioner (Kejriwal) was not named in the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) or chargesheet. There are 15 statements".

"The arrest was to disable me from campaigning," he said, citing Kejriwal as saying.

Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court on April 10, a day after the Delhi High Court had dismissed his petition, saying that he had "conspired with others" in the case.

The AAP national convenor’s petition also states that his arrest was made "in a motivated manner" and was solely based on subsequent, contradictory and "highly belated statements of co-accused" who have now turned approvers.

It has sought his release and to declare the arrest "illegal".

Also on Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Kejriwal in Tihar Jail.