New Delhi: A trial court on Friday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to six-day Enforcement Directorate custody in the liquor policy-linked money-laundering case.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, who was arrested on Thursday night, will be produced before the Rouse Avenue Court at 2 pm on March 28.
AAP and other INDIA bloc leaders have been protesting Kejriwal’s arrest by ED weeks before Lok Sabha elections. Delhi cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were detained and transported in police buses after refusing to disperse from Central Delhi’s ITO intersection, where prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were in effect.
On March 26, AAP is planning to gherao Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence as part of its continued protest.
Kejriwal was on Friday produced in the trial court a few hours after he withdrew a petition against his arrest in Supreme Court.
During the hearing in trial court, ED alleged that Kejriwal received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from the ‘South group’ and was the kingpin behind formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
“He demanded Rs 100 crore from some accused from the ‘South group’ for contesting the Goa elections,” Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who is appearing for ED, told the court.
The ASG also claimed that the money trail showed Rs 45 crore used in the Goa elections came from four hawala routes.
Appearing for Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposed the remand plea, contending that ED has to show the necessity to arrest the Delhi CM.
Singhvi argued that the power of arrest and necessity of arrest are two different things, pointing out that in the history of 75 years of Independence, this is the first time a sitting chief minister is arrested.
“It is like having the result before the first vote is cast,” Singhvi said, referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
