Delhi Excise Policy: HC to Hear Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea Challenging Arrest Tomorrow

The Delhi High Court will hear a petition on Wednesday filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Kejriwal’s petition, seeking his immediate release on the grounds of the arrest and subsequent remand to ED being “illegal,” is scheduled for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10.30 am.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested on March 21 and later remanded to the ED’s custody till March 28 by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.

Kejriwal had filed the petition in the high court last week, although his request for an urgent hearing was reportedly declined as the high court was closed for Holi. On Friday, the trial court extended Kejriwal’s remand in the ED’s custody till March 28 “for his detailed and sustained interrogation.”

The federal agency arrested Kejriwal shortly after the high court denied him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. Previously, Kejriwal had approached the court to quash and set aside all proceedings, including summonses, issued against him.

In his petition, Kejriwal highlighted his status as a vocal critic of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, an opposition leader, and a partner in the INDIA bloc. He alleged that the ED, being under the Union government’s control, has been “weaponized.”

The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently scrapped. Top AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are currently in judicial custody in connection with the case.

Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in the chargesheets filed by the ED, which alleges that the accused were in contact with Kejriwal while formulating the excise policy, resulting in undue benefits in exchange for kickbacks paid to the AAP.