The Delhi High Court is set to deliver its verdict today on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will announce the decision at 2:30 pm.
Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has dismissed the corruption case against him as a political conspiracy and has contested his custody by the ED. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody until April 15 and is currently incarcerated at Tihar jail.
During the April 3 hearing in the high court, Kejriwal questioned the timing of his arrest, arguing that it violated the fundamental principles of the Constitution by disrupting a fair playing field in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Also Read: Drug Addict Son Brutally Kills Mother, Bashes Her Skull With Stone In UP
The ED, which has labeled Kejriwal as the “kingpin” of the alleged scam, opposed his petition, asserting that the law applies equally to him as it does to an ordinary citizen. The agency argued that the Chief Minister’s arrest was not exempted due to his political stature or the proximity to elections.
Kejriwal has maintained his innocence, stating that there is no substantial evidence implicating him in the purported scam. However, the ED claims to have traced a money trail linking him to the illicit activities.
The central agency arrested Kejriwal on March 21 after the high court rejected his plea for protection from coercive measures, sparking strong criticism from the opposition. Subsequently, on April 1, he was remanded to jail for a two-week period following 11 days of ED custody.
Also Read: Gujarat Shop Owners Sell Beef filled Samosas, Arrested
The liquor policy, initially intended to reform the liquor business in Delhi, was revoked after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities. The ED alleges that the policy enabled significant profit margins, with bribe money purportedly funneled into AAP’s election campaigns.
Rahul Gandhi's opinion piece appeared in a national daily and sparked political uproar. Opposition parties…
In 2022–23, poverty under the revised $3.00 line stood at just 5.25 per cent in…
Five Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district,…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the most populous country, with the fifth-largest economy, must…
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has frontloaded its rate cuts to support economic growth,…
PM Narendra Modi on Saturday called for urgent global action to build infrastructure that can…