New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday denied interim relief to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise 'scam' case.
The HC issued notice to the ED on Kejriwal's plea against arrest. The court will hear Kejriwal's plea on April 3 and asked ED to file its reply before April 2. The bench of Justice Swarnakanta Sharma pronounced its order on Wednesday evening.
The AAP national convenor had challenged his arrest and the subsequent remand to the custody of the Central Agency till March 28. The court said that on April 3, the petition (Kejriwal's) would be taken up for final disposal.
During the hearing, senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for CM Kejriwal, said that the reason for Kejriwal's arrest is political and that he has been arrested to neutralize him and his party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Singhvi claimed that there was no "necessity" to arrest Kejriwal, as mandated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and that the grounds of "non-cooperation" were the most abused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who orally said she would issue a notice on the petition and grant time to the ED to file a reply to it, said she would pass an order in the matter and upload the same later in the day. Singhvi urged the court to grant interim relief in the meantime to the Delhi CM by ordering his release.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the agency, said the "bulky" petition was served upon them only on Tuesday, and three weeks' time should be given to bring their stand on record. For interim relief as well, appropriate time should be given to respond, he said. Singhvi alleged that the request to file a response was motivated and a delay tactic.
Challenge is to the foundation of arrest and there are several "glaring issues" that need immediate decision by the high court either way, the senior lawyer added. "Democracy itself is involved. Basic structure is involved. Level playing field is involved. Even an hour spent in custody is far too long if arrest is illegal," Singhvi said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener, who has sought his immediate release on account of the arrest and the subsequent remand to ED, was arrested on March 21 and subsequently remanded to the ED's custody till March 28 by a Delhi court. On Friday, the trial court had remanded Kejriwal in the ED's custody till March 28 "for his detailed and sustained interrogation".
The ED arrested Kejriwal hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. The case pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.
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