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.
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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.
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The liquor policy, initially intended to reform the liquor business in Delhi, was revoked after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities.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.
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