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Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged liquor policy scam awaits a Supreme Court verdict today.
Key Points
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. Today, the Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on Kejriwal’s plea challenging this arrest.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which reserved its decision on May 17, will pronounce the judgment. Kejriwal’s arrest had been upheld by the Delhi High Court on April 9, a decision he contested. The high court had declared his arrest legal, emphasizing that the ED had limited options after he repeatedly ignored summonses and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
The Supreme Court, on April 15, requested a response from the central probe agency regarding Kejriwal’s plea. Previously, the Supreme Court had granted him a 21-day interim bail on May 10 to allow him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, with a directive to surrender by June 2, the day after the last phase of the elections.
Subsequently, on June 20, Kejriwal was granted bail by a trial court in Delhi. However, the following day, the ED approached the Delhi High Court, arguing that the trial court’s decision was “perverse,” “one-sided,” and based on irrelevant considerations. The high court then imposed an interim stay on the bail order until it could rule on the ED’s application for interim relief. A detailed order from the high court on June 25 further stayed the trial court’s bail order.
In an unexpected turn, five days later, Kejriwal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning the same alleged liquor policy scam.
This case has significant political and legal implications, with Kejriwal’s supporters claiming political vendetta and misuse of central agencies. The upcoming Supreme Court verdict will not only impact Kejriwal’s legal battles but also shape the political narrative as the Lok Sabha elections approach.