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Tag: Delhi Excise Policy case

  • Delhi CM Kejriwal Granted Bail In Money Laundering Case Linked To Alleged Excise Scam |

    New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Thursday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy case. The Delhi court also declines ED’s prayer to stay Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order for 48 hours. Special Judge Niyay Bindu granted the AAP leader relief on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The judge issued the order after hearing arguments from the prosecution and defence counsel on Kejriwal’s application for regular bail.

    Before providing the AAP leader with the relief, the court did, however, place some restrictions on him, such as a promise not to interfere with the investigation or sway the witnesses. In addition, the judge gave Kejriwal instructions to assist with the investigation and show up in court as needed.

    After hearing from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which aimed to connect Kejriwal to the purported proceeds of crime and co-accused, and the defence, which contended that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to convict the AAP leader, the judge had earlier in the day reserved the order.

    The Rouse Avenue court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and another accused Vinod Chauhan till July 3 in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy. 

  • No Relief For Arvind Kejriwal: SC Registry Refuses Urgent Listing Of Delhi CM’s Plea For Bail Extension |

    In a setback for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court registry refused to urgently list his plea seeking extension of his interim bail by seven days for undergoing certain medical tests. The Apex court said that the plea is not maintainable because Kejriwal was given the option to seek regular bail from the trial court.  

    A vacation bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan acknowledged the plea submitted by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the chief minister, the court stated that the decision to list the interim plea can be made by the CJI since the judgement in the main matter has been reserved. 

    In a press conference the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) informed that the Delhi CM has sought a 7-day extension of his interim bail on medical grounds as the doctor has prescribed some tests including PET-CT scan as unexplained weight loss of the CM combined with high ketone levels are signs that may indicate kidney issues, serious cardiac diseases, and even cancer. 

    Kejriwal in a fresh plea filed on May 26 said that he will surrender before the authorities on June 9 instead of June 2 (the date directed by court during his interim bail). 

    On May 10, the top court granted the chief minister a 21-day temporary bail so he could campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He had been arrested for money laundering related to a scandal involving the excise policy scam. The court ordered that Kejriwal must turn himself in on June 2, the day after the final phase of the seven-part election ends.  

  • Kejriwal’s Interim Bail Plea: SC To Hear Arguments Due To Lok Sabha Elections On May 7

    Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who was representing the ED, that the hearing on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest was likely to take time, so the court was considering hearing the probe agency on interim bail for him.

  • Breaking: No Relief For AAP’s Manish Sisodia, Delhi Court Rejects Second Regular Bail Plea In Excise Policy Case |

    NEW DELHI: In a big setback for jailed former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party leader Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday dismissed his second regular bail application in connection with the alleged money laundering probe against him linked to the Excise policy case. Rouse Avenue Court’s Special judge Kaveri Baweja denied bail to Sisodia after reserving the verdict in his bail pleas on April 20. 

    According to news agency ANI, Sisodia’s bail was strongly opposed by both CBI and ED. While opposing Sisodia’s bail plea, the ED argued that the continuation of the excise policy would have made consumers pay hundreds of crores annually. The central agency has also earlier stated that the excise policy would not have been possible without Sisodia.

     

    Delhi | Rouse Avenue court dismisses the second regular bail application of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Delhi Excise policy case. His bail was opposed by both CBI and ED.

    He had sought bail on the ground of delay in the trial. His earlier bail application was also dismissed by…
    — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2024

     

    Sisodia had sought bail on the grounds of delay in the trial. His earlier bail application was also dismissed by the court last year. The AAP leader has been in custody since February 2023.

    Sisodia will now approach the Delhi High Court after Rouse Avenue court dismissed his second regular bail application in the Delhi Excise policy case.

    The AAP leader has been denied bail by the trial court, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in both ED and CBI cases. The Supreme Court had also dismissed Sisodia’s review petitions against the denial of bail. His curative petitions have also been dismissed.

    The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating the money laundering allegations linked to the excise policy case, has not yet framed charges against the AAP leader. The ED had earlier informed the apex court that it would complete the trial within six to eight months. 

    Sisodia has been accused of playing a key role in framing the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, tweaking it for the benefit of particular liquor entities and causing a loss of several hundred crores to the state exchequer. Sisodia was first arrested by the CBI in February 2023, and then by the ED in March that year. 

    In the ED chargesheet, Sisodia has been named as a “key conspirator” in the case, following which he resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

  • ‘Contradicting Yourself’: Supreme Court’s Strong Remarks On Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea Against Arrest |

    The Supreme Court of India yesterday heard Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest. While the CM’s counsel contended that his arrest was illegal and was done merely based on suspicion, the apex court made some strong remarks. Appearing for Kejriwal, senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi said that a person can be arrested only on evidence of guilt. Referring to Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Singhvi contended that the investigating agency had not recorded the statement of the Delhi Chief Minister, said reports.

    However, the top court reacted sharply to this saying that the petitioner is contradicting his own statement. “Are you not contradicting yourself by saying that his statements under Section 50 of the PMLA were not recorded?” said the court adding that first the CM did not appear on summons for recording of statements under Section 50 and now saying it was not recorded. Arvind Kejriwal had refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate despite the probe agency issuing nine summons to him. 

    Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case. Kejriwal contended that his arrest was illegal, politically motivated and aimed at toppling the Delhi government. 

    According to reports, the top court noted that the petitioner cannot take the defence that his statement was not recorded because he did not go for it when summoned. To this, Singhvi responded, “Non-recording of Section 50 statements is not a defence to arrest me for reasons of believing there is guilt…The ED came to my house to arrest me. Then why can’t ED record my statement under Section 50 at my house?” he added.

    The Enforcement Directorate has submitted before the court that Kejriwal was avoiding interrogation while recording his statement under Section 17 of the PMLA. The ED also accused the CM of being evasive and uncooperative. 

    The top court also asked why Kejriwal did not file a plea for bail in the trial court, Singhvi told the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta that they have approached the Supreme Court as it has ‘wider jurisdiction’.

    Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The hearing in the case will continue today.

  • Arvind Kejriwal Arrest LIVE Updates: Delhi BJP Chief Injured During Protest To Oust CM |

    Arvind Kejriwal Arrest LIVE Updates: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi high court verdict upholding his arrest related to a money laundering case connected to a alleged excise scam. Vivek Jain, Kejriwal’s legal representative, told news agency PTI that they have challenged the Delhi HC order in the apex court. The Delhi High Court’s decision to sustain Kejriwal’s arrest dealt a significant setback to the Chief Minister just before the Lok Sabha elections.

    The court remarked that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with ‘little option’ but to proceed with the arrest due to Kejriwal’s consistent absence from summons and his refusal to participate in the probe.

    Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were scheduled to visit Kejriwal at Tihar Jail, which has now been deferred. The jail authorities have cited security concerns as the reason for the postponement, news agency IANS reported.

    “Yesterday, the time for Bhagwant Mann and Sanjay Singh to meet Kejriwal was fixed. Now, Tihar Jail will inform about the new time,” said AAP.  “The administration had received a letter for a meeting with CM Kejriwal,” IANS quoted jail sources as saying.

    “The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Tihar will respond today. The reply will address security measures and propose alternative dates for the meeting. Sanjay Singh and CM Bhagwant Mann may then visit CM Kejriwal on the suggested dates, should they choose to,” a source from the prison administration stated.

    Kejriwal was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 over allegations related to the excise scam. Since his arrest, Kejriwal has been under the ED’s authority, followed by his transfer to Tihar Jail.

    Follow LIVE Updates Here: 

    2:20 PM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday organized a demonstration close to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) main office on DDU Marg, calling for the resignation of the incarcerated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in Tihar jail due to allegations related to the excise policy.
    To break up the gathering, the police resorted to using water cannons, which resulted in injuries to Virendra Sachdeva, head of the BJP’s Delhi division. He received medical attention at RML Hospital.

    13.42 PM: The Delhi High Court declined to consider a petition filed by former AAP Minister and ex-MLA Sandeep Kumar, requesting the removal of Arvind Kejriwal from his position as Chief Minister. The court noted that this was the third petition with the same demands and expressed its intention to impose a fine of Rs. 50,000 on the petitioner. Additionally, the court urged the petitioner to refrain from ridiculing the legal system, stating that imposing costs is the only effective measure to deter such petitions.

    13.29 PM: Police have apprehended Delhi BJP leaders and supporters who were staging a demonstration, calling for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

    #WATCH | Police detain Delhi BJP leaders and workers protesting demanding resignation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. pic.twitter.com/EPA4ZE2FFD


    — ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2024

    12.57 PM: AAP MP Sanjay Singh stated that according to him, the Modi government intends to detain an elected Chief Minister of Delhi. He mentioned that two days prior, Arvind Kejriwal had a meeting with his lawyer where he conveyed a message for elected MLAs to engage with people in their respective areas and address their concerns. Singh expressed to ANI, he said investigation has been initiated against Kejriwal, accompanied by threats of restricting his access to family and legal counsel.

    #WATCH | AAP MP Sanjay Singh says, “The Modi government wants to keep an elected Chief Minister of Delhi in jail… two days ago Arvind Kejriwal met his lawyer and during that meeting, he gave the message that the elected MLAs should go to their areas and listen to the problems… pic.twitter.com/Fu3eEjqapk
    — ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2024

    12.53 PM: There will be a gathering at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal around 1 PM to discuss plans for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Alongside the CM, his wife Sunita Kejriwal will participate. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, MPs Sandeep Pathak and Sanjay Singh, ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Gopal Rai, as well as party leader Jasmine Shah, are also expected to be in attendance at the meeting organized by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

    12.12 PM: Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, has taken his case to the Supreme Court after a ruling by the Delhi High Court. Saurabh Bharadwaj, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and a minister in Delhi, expressed that their approach to news agency ANI. He highlighted that they’ve followed this pattern from district courts to high courts, and now to the Supreme Court. Bharadwaj conveyed optimism about receiving justice from the Supreme Court. Drawing a parallel to a previous case involving Sanjay Singh, he suggested that just as the Supreme Court provided guidance then, they anticipate the same in their current situation.

    11.50 AM: After a Delhi court on Wednesday said no to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s request to have more meetings with his lawyers, bumping it up from two times a week to five. Kejriwal argued that because he’s dealing with several police cases in different states, he needs more legal consultations. However, the court rejected his plea. The lawyers representing the authorities argued against it, saying that the Jail Manual only allows one legal meeting a week, maybe two in special cases. Kejriwal is already having two meetings, so asking for more goes against the rules.

    11.30 AM: Supreme Court refuses early hearing in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging Delhi High Court’s order against his arrest in Delhi Liquor Policy Case. CJI DY Chandrachud says, “I will look into e-mail”

  • Excise Policy Case: BRS Leader K Kavitha’s Judicial Custody Extended Till April 23 |

    New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha till April 23, 2024, in connection with the excise policy money laundering case. The Special Judge, Kaveri Baweja, allowed the plea of the Enforcement Directorate, stating that she’s made attempts to influence the witnesses, and tampered with evidence and hence her judicial custody should be extended by 14 days.

     

    Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court extends the judicial custody of BRS MLC K Kavitha till April 23, in excise policy money laundering case

    She was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15, 2024. https://t.co/pU1wbTeCSg
    — ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2024

     

    Advocate Nitesh Rana appeared for K Kavitha and opposed the ED plea, stating that there’s nothing new since she was arrested, there are no new grounds. The application doesn’t mention anything. Meanwhile, the Court had refused to permit K Kavitha to address personally/orally and said she could give her submissions in written form.

    Advocate Zoheb Hossain along with Naveen Kumar Matta and Simon Benjamin appeared for the Enforcement Directorate in the case while Advocates Nitesh Rana, Deepak Rana and Mohit Rao appeared for accused K Kavitha. Recently, the same court had allowed the CBI plea to quiz/examine K Kavitha during judicial custody in the Tihar Jail on any day of the coming week.

    CBI, through the application, sought court permission to interrogate, quiz and record the statement of BRS Leader K Kavitha regarding WhatsApp chats recovered from Buchi Babu’s phone and documents to a Land deal post which 100 crores were allegedly paid to Aam Aadmi Party in kickbacks.

    The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested K. Kavitha MLC, Telangana Legislative Council, on March 15, 2024, in the case of the Delhi Liquor Policy Scam. A search was also conducted at the residence of K. Kavitha in Hyderabad on March 15, 2024. During the search proceedings, the ED officials were obstructed by the relatives and associates of K. Kavitha, said ED through a statement.

    ED investigation revealed that K Kavitha along with others conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia to get favours in the Delhi Excise policy formulation and implementation. In exchange for these favours, she was involved in paying Rs 100 Crore to the leaders of AAP.

    Through acts of corruption and conspiracy in the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, a continuous stream of illegal funds in the form of kickbacks from wholesalers was generated for the AAP. Further, K. Kavitha and her associates were to recover the proceeds of crime paid in advance to AAP and to generate profits or proceeds of crime from this entire conspiracy, stated ED.

    To date, the ED has conducted searches on 245 locations across the country, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and other places. 15 people, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair from AAP, have been arrested in the case so far.

    ED has filed 1 Prosecution Complaint and 5 Supplementary Complaints in the case so far.

    Further, out of the proceeds of crime generated, assets worth Rs 128.79 crore have been traced so far and have been attached via provisional attachment orders dated January 24, 2023, and July 3, 2023. Both the attachment orders have been confirmed by the adjudicating authority in New Delhi.

    ED has filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency said it has so far undertaken nearly 200 search operations in this case after filing an FIR taking cognizance of a CBI case that was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor.

    The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules- 2010, officials had said.

    The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

    As per the allegations, the excise department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer. 

  • ‘Sunita Kejriwal Is Best Person To…’: Saurabh Bharadwaj Amid Buzz Over Delhi CM’s Wife Leading AAP |

    NEW DELHI: Amid growing speculation regarding the involvement of Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the affairs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), senior party leader and Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has expressed confidence in her ability to “keep the party together.” Addressing the party’s crisis, Bharadwaj emphasized that Sunita Kejriwal has consistently portrayed herself as a conduit for her husband’s messages, particularly during his current detention. Bharadwaj also underscored the positive influence of her presence on the morale of party members and supporters. “She is delivering the messages of Arvind Kejriwal ji. This has had a great impact on our party cadre and among our sympathisers. We want to propagate it. In the present circumstances, she is the best person to keep the party together,” Bharadwaj said while speaking to ANI.

     

    #WATCH | Delhi: party leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says, “For years Sunita Kejriwal has been with Arvind Kejriwal, through thick and thin…If such a person stays in the party then she acts as a glue in the party and we see it as a blessing… Since she is a family… pic.twitter.com/SCz0m4EQFJ
    — ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024

     

    Sunita Kejriwal’s Role Amidst Delhi CM’s Arrest

    Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of AAP, is currently detained in connection with a money-laundering case related to the Delhi government’s previous excise policy. With his detention extending until April 15, the spotlight has turned to his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, who has been actively involved in disseminating his messages from custody.

    Sunita Kejriwal’s Public Engagements

    Highlighting Sunita Kejriwal’s recent participation in the ‘Loktantra Bachao’ rally organized by the INDIA bloc on March 31, Bharadwaj interpreted her presence as a sign of resilience against attempts to weaken the party. He noted the emotional resonance her appearance had among party members, particularly in the face of adversity.

    Sunita Kejriwal’s Involvement In AAP Campaigns

    Responding to inquiries about Sunita Kejriwal’s potential role in the party’s campaigning for upcoming elections, Bharadwaj expressed enthusiasm but stressed that any decision regarding her involvement would ultimately be a personal one.

    In light of recent events, speculation has arisen regarding the significance of Sunita Kejriwal’s public appearances following her husband’s arrest. However, Bharadwaj refuted claims of any deliberate messaging behind her actions, emphasizing her commitment to the party’s cause.

  • ‘BJP Top Leadership Behind Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest’: AAP MP Sanjay Singh On Liquor Policy Case |

    NEW DELHI: A day after his release from jail, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Friday during which he claimed that a ”conspiracy” was orchestrated by senior leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to arrest his party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case. Singh accused the BJP of involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy scam, suggesting that high-ranking members of the party were complicit in the alleged wrongdoing.

    Magunta Reddy Forced To Accuse Kejriwal: Sanjay Singh

    Singh highlighted the case of Magunta Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta, asserting that their statements underwent significant alterations under duress. According to Singh, Magunta Reddy initially provided statements that did not implicate Kejriwal but changed his stance following his son’s arrest and prolonged detention. Similarly, Raghav Magunta allegedly altered his testimony after enduring months of incarceration, eventually inculpating Kejriwal in the purported conspiracy.

     

    #WATCH | Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh says, “There is one person, Magunta Reddy, who gave 3 statements, his son Raghav Magunta gave 7 statements. On 16th September, when he (Magunta Reddy) was first asked by ED whether he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he told the truth and said… pic.twitter.com/YzyPrZxYAQ
    — ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024

     

    Selective Editing by Authorities

    Singh accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of selectively removing statements that did not implicate Kejriwal, thereby allegedly manipulating the narrative to suit their agenda. He claimed that the agency disregarded testimonies that exonerated Kejriwal while emphasizing those that inculpated him, insinuating bias in the investigative process.

    ED Raids And Alleged Intimidation

    Singh further alleged that individuals who initially denied any association with Kejriwal were coerced into incriminating him after facing prolonged detention and intimidation tactics by investigative authorities. He cited the case of Sarath Reddy, whose prolonged detention allegedly led to a change in his testimony, implicating Kejriwal under duress.

     

    #WATCH | Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh says, “…There is a person Sarath Reddy, whose residence was raided on 9th November 2022. When he was asked if he knew Arvind Kejriwal, he denied it and said that he had never met him. 12 statements of Sarath Reddy were recorded… pic.twitter.com/zdynwMchhS
    — ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024

     

    Following his release, Singh visited a Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, where he prayed for wisdom to prevail within the BJP-led central government. Additionally, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Singh’s post-release activities included a meeting with Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

    Arrest Of Delhi CM

    Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case. The trial court on April 1, sent Arvind Kejriwal to Judicial Custody till April 15, 2024. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy. 

    The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair. 

    Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.

  • ‘Kejriwal Ko Aashirvaad’: Delhi CM’s Wife Seeks People’s Support, Shares WhatsApp Number |

    NEW DELHI: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal shared a video message on Friday, urging people to reach out to the Delhi Chief Minister and express their support to him. She also shared a phone number. “You can send your messages of support, anything you want to tell him on this number”, she said. She added, “Every one of your messages will reach him…I will deliver these to him in jail.”

    Appeal For Support Amid Legal Battles

    Sunita Kejriwal, while addressing the public, initiated the “Kejriwal ko Aashirvaad” campaign, encouraging individuals to send their blessings and well-wishes to the Chief Minister through a WhatsApp number. This appeal comes amidst Arvind Kejriwal’s extended custody following his arrest on March 21 in connection with the purported liquor policy scam. Despite the legal entanglements, Sunita Kejriwal remains resolute in rallying support from the citizens.

    Legal Proceedings And Extensions

    Arvind Kejriwal’s detention, which has now been extended until April 1, stems from allegations concerning money laundering linked to the Excise Policy. The recent court proceedings saw the Delhi Chief Minister himself presenting arguments, questioning the validity of his arrest based on limited evidence and statements. He emphasized the need for a fair and thorough investigation, dismissing the accusations against him as politically motivated.

    ED’s Allegations And Political Ramifications

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has levelled accusations against Kejriwal, implicating him in orchestrating the controversial excise policy and allegedly benefiting from illicit gains. However, Kejriwal and his legal team vehemently deny these claims, asserting that the charges are part of a broader agenda to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and destabilize the elected government in Delhi.

    Court’s Notice To ED

    In response to Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and subsequent remand, the Delhi High Court has issued notices to the ED, signalling a potential legal battle ahead. The court, while recognizing the significance of fair hearings, has scheduled further proceedings for April 3, 2024. This development underscores the complexity and gravity of the legal challenges facing the Chief Minister.

    The court, while fixing the matter for April 3, 2024, further stated that any release order from custody will amount to enlarging the accused/petitioner/ Arvind Kejriwal on bail or interim bail, as an interim measure. The writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is not a ready substitute for recourse to the remedy of bail under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C. ordinarily.

    Arvind Kejriwal, through his plea, alleged that the DOE has, at the time of his arrest failed to establish that the petitioner is guilty of committing activities stipulated under Section 3, i.e., be it one of concealment, possession, acquisition, or use of proceeds of crime, as much as projecting it as untainted property or claiming it to be so.

    According to Kejriwal’s plea, both the arrest and the remand order are illegal and he is entitled to be released from custody. The plea stated that without there being any material in possession of the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of which the petitioner (Arvind Kejriwal), can be believed to be guilty of an offence, the petitioner is being illegally and arbitrarily arrested by ED in the evening of March 21.

    The trial court on March 22, sent Arvind Kejriwal to ED remand till March 28. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.

    It also claimed that due to the actions of Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of the AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.

    Excise Policy Case Background 

    Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency late Thursday night on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal”. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.

    While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair. Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.