New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s legal woes continue as a Delhi court extended his judicial custody until April 23 in connection with the excise policy case. The Aam Aadmi Party convenor, currently held in Tihar jail, appeared before the court virtually for the hearing.
The court also extended the judicial custody of co-accused K Kavitha until April 23. Kejriwal was remanded to judicial custody after his Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand ended. His arrest came on March 21, following the high court’s refusal to grant him protection from coercive action by the central agency.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has also stepped into the fray, seeking a response from the ED on a plea filed by Kejriwal challenging his arrest. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta directed the ED to respond by April 24, with the matter scheduled for a hearing in the week commencing April 29.
Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, stating that the agency had ‘little’ option after Kejriwal skipped nine summonses and refused to cooperate with the probe. The court dismissed Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the ED.
The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, later scrapped. Kejriwal’s arrest marks a significant milestone, as he becomes the first sitting chief minister to be arrested.
Notably, his colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are also held in jail in the same case. Recently, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh secured bail from the Supreme Court, walking out of Tihar jail earlier this month. As legal battles ensue, Kejriwal’s political future hangs in the balance amidst mounting legal challenges.
