Delhi Excise Policy case: Arvind Kejriwal send to judicial custody till April 15 by Delhi Rouse Avenue court
PTC News Desk: On March 1, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody until April 15 in the liquor policy case, following a request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a fifteen-day judicial custody, citing Kejriwal's purported "non-cooperative behaviour."
Previously, on March 28, the Rouse Avenue court had extended Kejriwal's ED remand until April 1, directing his appearance by 11:30 am on that day.
The sequence of events leading to Kejriwal's judicial custody began on March 21 when the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for protection from arrest. Subsequently, the ED arrested him in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Although Kejriwal initially challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court, he withdrew the petition, opting instead to contest the ED's remand.
The following day, a Delhi court granted the ED custody of Kejriwal until March 28.
During the court proceedings on March 22 at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, asserted that Kejriwal played a pivotal role in the alleged irregularities surrounding the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. Raju maintained that Kejriwal was directly involved in formulating the policy and managing the proceeds of crime.
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Furthermore, Raju presented evidence suggesting irregularities in the defunct excise policy, alleging that the proceeds were utilized to finance the AAP's election campaign in Goa in 2022, with funds allegedly transferred to Goa through illicit means.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, initiating Kejriwal's defense, argued that there was insufficient direct evidence linking Kejriwal to the alleged irregularities, aside from witness statements. Singhvi contended that these legal actions were aimed at undermining the AAP's prospects in upcoming elections, highlighting the arrest of four senior party leaders and emphasizing the absence of grounds necessitating Kejriwal's arrest in March 2024.
"In your grounds of arrest, there is no ground to arrest me," Singhvi asserted, challenging the basis of Kejriwal's custody.
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(Inputs from agencies)
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