The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to intervene in the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an excise policy-related money laundering case.
However, the court has issued a notice to the ED on Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest. It has sought ED's response on the main petition as well as the application for interim release of the petitioner by April 2.
The court allowed ED a seven-day period to submit their response and scheduled April 3 as the subsequent hearing date.
"The Directorate of Enforcement will ensure that replies are filed to the main petition as well as the application for interim release of the petitioner by 02.04.2024 and copies of the same are provided in digitized form as well as hard copy to the learned counsel for the petitioner," ordered the court.
Also, S V Raju, the Additional Solicitor General representing the ED, expressed that they were served with the "bulky" petition only on Tuesday, hence requesting time to officially present their stance. He emphasised the need for adequate time to respond even for interim relief.
Now, Arvind Kejriwal is expected to appear before a Delhi court on Thursday as his ED custodial remand draws to a close. The federal probe agency arrested Kejriwal last Thursday regarding his alleged involvement in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy.
Last Friday, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja ordered Kejriwal into ED custody until March 28, granting a six-day remand following the agency's request for a 10-day custodial interrogation. The ED has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader of complicity in the Delhi liquor scam, asserting that he played a pivotal role in designing and executing the policy to benefit certain entities and subsequently utilized the illicit gains for election campaigning in Goa.
"The accused (Kejriwal) is hereby remanded to the custody of the ED till March 28 for his detailed and sustained interrogation with respect to his role and to unearth the remaining proceeds of crime and for confronting him with data retrieved from digital devices and material seized during the investigation," the court pronounced on March 22.
Furthermore, the court-mandated Kejriwal's appearance before it at 2 PM on March 28, indicating the possibility of extending his custodial remand or directing his transfer to judicial custody.
