New Daily
The Delhi high court on Wednesday (March 27) denied interim relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate as the court only issued notices regarding Kejriwal's plea and posted the matter for further hearing on April 3.
A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued a notice to the ED on Arvind Kejriwal's plea seeking immediate release and declaring his arrest and remand as illegal and asked the agency to reply by April 2.
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The High Court dismissed the argument presented by senior advocate AM Singhvi, who represented Kejriwal, contending that no response from the ED was necessary. Emphasising its obligation to impartially hear both parties in accordance with the principles of natural justice, the court asserted that the ED's reply is indispensable and pivotal for adjudicating the current case.
Allegations and legal actions
Previously, Kejriwal had approached the high court to annul all proceedings, including several summons, issued against him. He faces accusations of corruption and money laundering related to the formulation and implementation of Delhi's excise policy for 2021-22, subsequently revoked. Notably, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already under judicial custody in the same case.
The ED's allegations assert that the accused collaborated with Kejriwal in devising the excise policy, which allegedly provided undue advantages to them in exchange for kickbacks to the AAP.
The arrest sparked political turmoil, with AAP leaders and supporters attempting to march towards the Prime Minister's residence. Meanwhile, the BJP staged counter-protests demanding Kejriwal's resignation.
Despite being in ED custody, Kejriwal issued directives to Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to address medicine and diagnostic test shortages at mohalla clinics and hospitals in the city. This was the second directive issued by the chief minister while in ED custody.
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Security measures have been intensified across the national capital, with police deployments around key locations. Approximately 100 people, including AAP leaders and Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains, were detained during the protests, only to be later released. The BJP also staged protests near Delhi Secretariat, resulting in detentions and the use of water cannons by police to disperse the crowd.
(With inputs from agencies)