Excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case on Thursday night, Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi said. In a press statement after his arrest, the Delhi minister said, "Arvind Kejriwal is and will remain the chief minister of Delhi." Earlier in the evening, an ED team reached the CM's residence—hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection from arrest to Kejriwal in the case.
Why does this story matter?
To recall, the ED had filed two criminal complaints against Kejriwal in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Courts, stating that he has refused to comply with the summonses in the excise policy case. The Aam Aadmi Party national convenor has skipped nine summons issued by the ED in connection with the case. With the general election nearing, Kejriwal had earlier expressed concerns about being arrested if he appears before the ED for interrogation.
Kejriwal being questioned, phone confiscated
According to reports, the ED officials were questioning him at his residence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Thursday evening. Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel as well as Central Reserve Police Force teams have been deployed outside the Delhi CM's house. Reports said, the CM's phone was also confiscated. Kejriwal is expected to move the Supreme Court on Friday seeking relief in the case, reports added.
K Kavitha arrested in excise policy case
"The way the police are inside...nobody is being allowed in...They have planned to arrest...Kejriwal," AAP leader Sourabh Bharadwaj said in the evening. This development comes shortly after Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha's arrest in the same case, which led to Kejriwal being named as a conspirator for the first time. Notably, the Delhi CM has also avoided summons from the agency in a separate money-laundering case connected to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board.
Watch: Visuals outside Kejriwal's residence
What is the Delhi excise policy case?
The Delhi excise policy case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the creation and implementation of the 2021-22 Delhi government's excise policy, which was later scrapped. Central probe agencies alleged that wholesaler profit margins were artificially boosted to 12% from 5%. Furthermore, they also claimed that the regulation promoted cartelization and benefited those ineligible for liquor licenses for financial gain. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are currently imprisoned in relation to this case.
