In the heart of New Delhi, a legal battle unfolds as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mounts a challenge against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations tied to a revoked liquor policy. This case has been brought before the Delhi High Court, with Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma deferring the hearing to a later session today following an argument presented by Mr. Kejriwal’s representative, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who criticized the ED’s postponement tactics.
The ED’s defense, represented by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, sought a three-week delay to prepare a comprehensive response, citing the receipt of Mr. Kejriwal’s petition only a day prior.
Senior Advocate Singhvi underscored the critical nature of the situation with Mr. Kejriwal’s ongoing detention since March 23, condemning the lapse in promptly rectifying the petition’s identified issues. He noted that the corrected version was shared with the ED shortly before the court session, illustrating the efforts to expediate the legal process on their end.
Justice Sharma assured a swift scheduling for the discussion of interim relief measures. Meanwhile, Mr. Singhvi emphasized the urgency of resolving the case’s core issue — the grounds of Mr. Kejriwal’s remand — which he argued necessitated no further delay or input from the opposing party. He pushed for an immediate ruling to counteract what he described as deliberate stalling tactics, underscoring the gravity of a matter that contests the very basis of the Chief Minister’s detention.
The court, taking note of the presented arguments, resolved to address the issue after attending to other matters listed for the day.
This legal controversy comes in the wake of Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, after which he initially sought the Supreme Court’s intervention for relief. However, following advice from his legal counsel, Mr. Singhvi, he chose to withdraw this appeal. Instead, he aims to challenge the legality of his remand through the trial court processes, signaling a strategic shift back to the higher judiciary should it become necessary.
Upon Mr. Kejriwal’s subsequent appearance in court, the Rouse Avenue jurisdiction ordered his custody for seven days.
The underlying ED case springs from an earlier Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe initiated in 2022, which scrutinized the allegedly flawed liquor policy upon a complaint by Delhi’s appointed Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena. This complaint implicated several top AAP leaders, accusing them of intentionally crafting loopholes within the policy to advantage select licensees.
Among those implicated, Mr. Kejriwal is identified as a central figure in the conspiracy, a claim that has also led to the arrest of other key AAP members such as Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi representative K Kavitha.
In the face of these charges, opposition leaders have vehemently denied any wrongdoing, accusing the BJP-led central government of leveraging enforcement bodies like the ED and CBI for their political vendettas.
The timing of Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest has further stoked controversies, with the AAP alleging it aims to thwart the Chief Minister’s campaign activities ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Nonetheless, the party reaffirms that Mr. Kejriwal will continue to serve as Chief Minister, with senior AAP ministers asserting that he remains focused on Delhi’s governance and the well-being of its citizens, despite the challenging circumstances of his detention.
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