New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while approaching the Supreme Court challenging a recent Delhi High Court ruling that dismissed his plea regarding his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and subsequent remand in the excise policy case argued that his arrest, which occurred after the announcement of the general elections, was driven by “extraneous considerations.”
Kejriwal’s legal team has argued that the sitting Chief Minister was arrested in a “motivated manner,” particularly during the midst of the election cycle, notably after the announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as per reports.
On Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s order passed on Tuesday, which dismissed his plea for release from jail and rejected his argument of political vendetta amid the looming Lok Sabha elections.
The High Court had said that Kejriwal’s absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined any claims of special privilege as Chief Minister, suggesting his arrest was an inevitable consequence of his non-cooperation.
The petition, while seeking the release of the Delhi Chief Minister from jail, said the ED has “allowed its process to be used and misused by vested interests” as an instrument of oppression to not only “invade the liberty of the political opponents” in the midst of General Election, 2024 of such vested interest but also “to tarnish their reputation and self-esteem”.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
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