The Supreme Court is poised to address Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and subsequent remand in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Monday. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will preside over the proceedings. Kejriwal moved the apex court contesting a Delhi High Court ruling that dismissed his plea on April 9, refuting his claims of political vendetta amidst the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The High Court deemed the probe agency’s materials sufficient to warrant the arrest, citing Kejriwal’s non-cooperation with the ED as the inevitable cause. Despite being summoned nine times by the agency, Kejriwal failed to appear for questioning. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma’s 103-page judgment also noted that the central agency couldn’t be faulted for the timing of the arrest.
Kejriwal, arrested on March 21 in connection with the money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the now-defunct Delhi excise policy, was remanded to judicial custody until April 15 in the previous hearing. Notably, he became the first sitting CM to be arrested in the case and is currently detained in Tihar jail.
In addition to Kejriwal, AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been incarcerated since February last year in the excise policy case, while Sanjay Singh, also arrested in the case, was recently released on bail.
The Delhi excise policy case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22. The policy aimed to revamp the city’s liquor business by replacing the sales-volume-based regime with a license fee for traders, promising upscale stores free of metal grilles to enhance the consumer experience. However, it was scrapped shortly after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requested a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.
According to the CBI and ED, AAP leaders received ₹100 crore in kickbacks from politicians and liquor businessmen to grant licenses under the excise policy. The central agencies’ chargesheet also implicates a ‘South Group’ in the alleged irregularities.
Kejriwal’s name features in the chargesheet, alleging that all accused in the excise policy case were in contact with him to formulate the policy, resulting in undue benefits in exchange for kickbacks to the party.