Delhi High Court to hear Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest today

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will be heard by the Delhi High Court today. Kejriwal’s petition has sought his immediate release from his arrest and the subsequent remand, calling it “illegal”. The matter is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10.30 am.

Kejriwal was arrested in a money-laundering probe in connection with the excise policy scam on March 21 and was subsequently remanded till March 28 by a Delhi court. 

The AAP supremo had moved the court soon after his release but the request for an urgent hearing was turned down as the court was closed for Holi. Kejriwal was arrested hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the central agency. 

The chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate mentions Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's name multiple times in connection with the alleged corruption and money laundering case. The case revolves around the formulation and execution of Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped. 

Top AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are currently under judicial custody for their alleged involvement in this case. The agency alleges that the accused were in contact with Kejriwal during the formulation of the excise policy, resulting in undue benefits to them. In return, they allegedly paid kickbacks to the AAP.