New Delhi: A day after the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court.
The Delhi court on Tuesday stated that Kejriwal’s arrest does not violate the law, and the remand cannot be deemed “illegal.”
The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma asserted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) possessed sufficient evidence warranting the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. The court highlighted Kejriwal’s failure to cooperate with the investigation and the resultant delay, which was affecting individuals in judicial custody.
“Material collected by ED reveals that Kejriwal conspired and was involved in formulation of excise policy and used proceeds of crime. He is also allegedly involved in personal capacity in formulation of policy and demanding kickbacks and secondly in the capacity of national convenor of AAP”, the Court said, as quoted by a Live Law report.
The court further asserted that it was necessary to assess the arrest and remand of the accused in accordance with the law, rather than considering the timing of elections. The court deemed Arvind Kejriwal’s challenge to the timing of his arrest, particularly before the general elections, as unsustainable in the absence of any malicious intent on the part of the ED.
After the Delhi High Court’s judgment dismissing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest, ASG SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case said, “Today the judge gave the judgement after seeing all the evidence and the court also said that money trail has been found. Court has done justice today and the court said that the arrest of (CM Kejriwal) is legal.”
