The High Court here is scheduled to hear on Wednesday Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to an alleged excise policy scam.
Mr. Kejriwal had moved the court on Saturday and sought an urgent hearing over his plea on Sunday, which could not take place as the High Court was closed for Holi.
The petition is now listed for hearing at 10.30 a.m. before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
Mr. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 after he skipped nine summonses issued by the agency for questioning since December last year. He was remanded in the ED custody till March 28 by the trial court.
In his plea, Mr. Kejriwal has termed his arrest “illegal” and sought immediate release from the ED custody.
“The present writ petition also raises an issue of liberty and exercise of arbitrary powers by a Central agency in a federal set-up in the midst of the general election,” Mr. Kejriwal has said.
The case involves allegations that the now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi excise policy benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers for monetary considerations.
The agency has alleged that the proceeds of the crime were used to fund AAP’s 2022 Goa Assembly poll campaign. Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh are already in judicial custody in connection with the case.
The ED had termed Mr. Kejriwal as the “kingpin” of the alleged scam, arguing before the trial court that he was directly involved in policy formulation and handling the proceeds of crime. The ED had said that the proceeds of crime could go much beyond the ₹100 crore estimated earlier and exceed ₹600 crore.
