Delhi CM Kejriwal's judicial custody extended till April 23
A Delhi court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 23 in connection with the excise policy case. Kejriwal appeared before the court through a virtual conference. To recall, the Aam Aadmi Party national convener has been lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after his Enforcement Directorate remand had ended. Notably, the court has also extended co-accused Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha's judicial custody to the same date.
Why does this story matter?
On March 21, the ED arrested Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The case revolves around alleged irregularities and money laundering in the creation and execution of the excise policy 2021-22, which was later rescinded. The federal agency has alleged that the AAP is a significant beneficiary of the illicit funds generated from the "scam." It has also alleged that the money was funneled into the party's poll campaign for Goa and Punjab.
SC issues notice to ED on Kejriwal's plea against arrest
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the ED on an appeal filed by Kejriwal. The plea challenges his arrest by the federal agency in a money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Kejriwal moved the top court challenging a Delhi High Court judgment that dismissed his plea on April 9. The SC bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has scheduled the next hearing for April 29.
Supreme Court requests ED response
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Delhi CM questioned the timing of the leader's arrest. He said that Kejriwal—the face of the Aam Aadmi Party—was arrested to prevent him from campaigning ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections. The bench replied that they were aware of the facts and had examined all documents. They advised Singhvi not to argue further after they issued the notice.
Delhi HC dismissed Kejriwal's plea
Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court on April 10, a day after his petition was dismissed by the Delhi High Court. The CM had moved the Delhi HC questioning his arrest's timing, implying it interfered with the 2024 polls and breached constitutional principles. The court, however, dismissed Kejriwal's objections to his arrest, ruling that the federal agency had no other option but to act after the CM failed to respond to multiple summonses in a money laundering investigation.
