Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday evening, on charges of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.
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Mr. Kejriwal will be produced before a special court on Friday. The AAP said that it has moved the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest, and has asked for an urgent hearing.
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Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court declined to grant any immediate protection to Mr. Kejriwal from coercive action in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. The High Court posted the AAP leader’s application seeking protection for a further hearing on April 22, when Mr. Kejriwal’s main petition challenging the summons is scheduled for hearing. “We have heard both sides and we are not inclined at this stage [to grant protection],” the court said.
Evening arrest
ED officials, accompanied by Delhi policemen, turned up at Mr. Kejriwal’s official residence in the evening. As the news of ED action spread, State Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj rushed to the spot, but he was not allowed in.
Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force units were deployed outside the premises and the police also mounted surveillance in the area using drones, in anticipation of protests. Following a brief round of questioning, the agency arrested Mr. Kejriwal. Around 9:15 p.m., a protest broke out by AAP supporters, who shouted slogans against the BJP-led Union government. The Delhi police detained some of the protestors.
‘Cannot silence Kejriwal’
The senior AAP leadership said that the main purpose of the Delhi CM’s arrest ahead of the election was to stop the him from campaigning, and to stifle the voice of the Opposition. Senior party leader Atishi said that what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP do not understand is that they will not be able to silence Mr. Kejriwal by using the ED.
“Arvind Kejriwal is not a person. Arvind Kejriwal is an idea. If you arrest one Arvind Kejriwal, thousands more will rise across the country to save democracy and the Constitution of India,” Ms. Atishi said, speaking outside his residence.
Multiple arrests
Mr. Kejriwal is the fourth Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to have been arrested in the case, after former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Singh and the former party’s communications in-charge Vijay Nair; while former Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain was arrested in another case.
Earlier this week, the ED had alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi legislator K. Kavitha, along with others, had conspired with the top AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia, for getting favours in the formulation and implementation of the erstwhile Delhi excise policy. The AAP had refuted the charges, raising suspicion that a ground was being prepared to arrest the Chief Minister.
The ED had arrested Ms. Kavitha in Hyderabad on March 15 in the same case and took her into custody to record her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. She, along with others, has been accused of being involved in paying ₹100 crore to the AAP leaders.
In the excise policy case, the agency has so far arrested 16 persons and attached assets worth ₹128.79 crore.
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