Excise policy case: Delhi HC rejects CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea to protect him from getting arrested

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday (Mar 21) moved a fresh plea in the Delhi High Court and sought protection for any coercive measures against him in connection with the excise policy case.

Kejriwal's plea rejected

In his recent plea,the AAP leader said that he is ready to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) amid the investigation but the federal agency should be prevented from arresting him.

However, the court rejected his plea saying that it was"not inclined to grant an interim relief."

‘Why don’t you appear on summonses?’

The plea comes a day after Delhi HC reprimanded him for skipping the ED’s summons on several occasions.

WATCH |ED: K Kavitha conspired with AAP leaders in Delhi Excise policy case

“Why don’t you appear on receiving the summonses? What is preventing you from attending the call?” asked the bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait.

The ED had issued nine summons to the Delhi CM related to the liquor policy scam case asking him to join the investigation. However, Kejriwal did not appear prompting the ED to file two complaints on February 3 and March 6 against the Delhi CM.

However, the AAP leader’s lawyer, senior advocate AM Singhvi, on Wednesday (Mar 20), said that the Delhi CM will not appear before the ED since there is a “clear intent” to arrest him ahead of the upcoming elections.

Kejriwal said that he is ready to appear before the ED if he is given protection.

The court said that he would be told if he is being summoned as a witness or a suspect pursuant and that the federal agency would not arrest him on the first day of appearance but only inquire.

In his plea, Kejriwal alleged that the summonssent on February 26, 2024, and March 16, 2024, were sent with an oblique motive to arrest him.

The Delhi HC has also sought ED’s stand on the petition filed by the CM challenging the summons issued to him.

On Sunday (Mar 17), the ED issuedfresh summons to Kejriwal asking him to appear before March 21 for questioning.

Excise policy case and arrests

So far, two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have been taken into judicial custody over the liquor policy case.

Sisodia, who was the deputy CM at the time, was arrested last year in February in the excise case over allegations of corruption in the formulation and implementation of the liquor policy for 2021-22.

(With inputs from agencies)