Arvind Kejriwal Appeals to Supreme Court Following High Court Ruling on Arrest
Arvind Kejriwal seeks relief from the supreme court after a setback in the high court regarding his arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case.
Following the Delhi high court's dismissal of his plea in the liquor policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appeals to the Supreme Court for intervention. The Aam Aadmi Party leader's lawyer raised the matter with DY Chandrachud - CJ of India and requested an urgent hearing. However, the CJ did not confirm if the hearing would take place today.
Yesterday, the high court rejected Mr. Kejriwal's appeal against his arrest by the ED on March 21st. The court noted that the central agency had little choice after Mr. Kejriwal skipped multiple summons in the money laundering case. It emphasized that there is no special treatment for questioning a chief minister compared to an ordinary citizen. The legal arguments in Arvind Kejriwal's case before the supreme court will be crucial for his defense.
Reacting to the high court's decision, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that neither the ED nor the CBI found any illegal money during their searches related to the Delhi liquor policy case. He called it a political conspiracy and expressed hope that Mr. Kejriwal would receive justice from the Supreme Court, citing a similar case involving AAP MP Sanjay Singh.
Earlier, Mr. Kejriwal had initially approached the supreme court the day after his arrest but withdrew his petition to address the matter in the trial court. Now, after eighteen days and facing a court setback, he is seeking relief from the supreme court once again.
The liquor policy introduced by the Delhi government in 2021, later withdrawn, allegedly favored liquor licenses. Following a recommendation from VK Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor, the CBI initiated an investigation into the allegations of irregularities. The ED is examining the money trail in the case. Arvind Kejriwal's legal battle against arrest continues amidst ongoing investigations.
Apart from Mr. Kejriwal, former senior AAP leader and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is in jail, whereas Sanjay Singh, an AAP MP who is also involved in the case, is presently released on bail.
