Politics

Supreme Court Queries ED on Timing of Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest

In response to a query on the date of AAP chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest from his attorney, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide a response. The Supreme Court noted that liberty is “very exceedingly important” when it heard Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case. The Enforcement Department lawyer was asked by Arvind Kejriwal why he was being held so close to the Lok Sabha elections.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. “It is impossible to dispute the importance of liberty. The final query concerns the date of the arrest, which Arvind Kejriwal’s attorney has brought up. Specifically, they want to know why the arrest was made so soon before the general elections, Justice Sanjiv Khanna informed ASG SV Raju. The Delhi High Court supported Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest earlier this month, stating that the agency was left with no choice because the former had not been cooperating with the investigation.

In his appearance before the court today, Arvind Kejriwal’s attorney, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said that MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (MSR) was compelled to testify against Arvind Kejriwal in order to deny his son Raghav bail. This was reported by Live Law. He claimed that MSR’s breakdown was brought up by his son’s ongoing detention and used his statement to attack Kejriwal. Singhvi added that MSR had changed his prior remarks and that Raghav had been given bail the very following day.

Singhvi brought forward the claim that Vijay Nair, an assistant to Arvind Kejriwal, was taking bribes. The arrest took place in November 2022. In March 2024, Kejriwal was taken into custody. “There is no explanation for not arresting during this time,” he responded. “At first, Raghav made no accusations—his wife tried suicide. When he requested temporary bail, the special judge denied it. His grandmother slipped and ended up in intensive care. The High Court of Delhi granted him provisional bail. Singhvi stated, according to the website, “ED contested it.” He added that the Enforcement Directorate did not contest Raghav’s bail following his father’s statement.

“Please interpret the nuances… The approval process is a farce, Singhvi continued. The AAP leaders have been charged by the Enforcement Directorate with accepting ₹100 crore in bribes from the South Group, a political and business group, in exchange for their economic interests being served by the now-cancelled Delhi liquor policy. Kejriwal’s attorney, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, stated on Monday that the former cannot be arrested for refusing to comply with the agency’s summonses. He claimed that the agency lacked the necessary evidence to revoke his freedom.

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“You (ED) have to demonstrate the necessity of arrest based on material available with the investigating agency,” Singhvi said. “The ED has the authority, but not the duty, to make an arrest. There needs to be a cause for optimism, fresh information, or a connection that relates to Kejriwal specifically. Following the implementation of the model code of conduct, they detained Kejriwal. Until March 2024, he was not charged nor suspected,” he continued.