Politics
Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody extended till April 23
Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody extended till April 23
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial detention was extended by a Delhi court on Monday until April 23 about the excise policy matter. Kejriwal used a video conference to appear in court. The co-accused’s judicial detention has also been extended until April 23, the court observed.
The 55-year-old convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party is now being held in Tihar jail following his transfer from Enforcement Directorate (ED) confinement to judicial custody. The ED detained Kejriwal on the evening of March 21 after the high court declined to shield him from the federal government’s use of coercion.
The Supreme Court had earlier in the day requested an answer from the ED over a plea that Kejriwal had submitted contesting his arrest. The ED was instructed to respond by April 24 by the top court panel of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, who also announced that the case would be heard the week of April 29.
The Delhi High Court affirmed the AAP convenor’s arrest on April 9, stating that Kejriwal had ignored nine summonses and had not cooperated with the investigation, leaving the agency with “little” options. The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had filed a plea against his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in the federal agency’s custody, but the court had dismissed it.
Also Read: K Kavitha of BRS Sent to Judicial Custody Till April 23 in Delhi Excise Policy Case
The issue concerns purported instances of corruption and money laundering during the development and implementation of the excise policy for 2021–2022, which was subsequently abandoned by the Delhi administration.
The first chief minister to be arrested while in office is Kejriwal. In connection with the same case, his other coworkers, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, are likewise detained. Sanjay Singh, a member of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, was released from Tihar jail earlier this month after receiving bail from the Supreme Court.
