Indian court rejects plea challenging Kejriwal's arrest

An Indian court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal against the arrest of Delhi chief minister and key opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal in a graft case.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the financial crime probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"The court is of the view that the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal was not in contravention of legal provisions. The remand can't be held to be illegal," said Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma while delivering the verdict.

Kejriwal was arrested in connection with corruption allegations related to Delhi's liquor policy, sparking protests in the national capital and the northern state of Punjab, also governed by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

A Delhi court last week extended Kejriwal's detention until April 15 and moved him to Delhi's Tihar jail, where two senior AAP leaders are also held in the same case. A third AAP leader, Sanjay Singh, detained in the case was given bail this month after being imprisoned for six months.

AAP says Kejriwal's arrest in the "fabricated" case is an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to prevent him from campaigning in the general elections which begin on April 19, reported Reuters. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has denied the allegations.

An alliance of 27 opposition parties called 'INDIA', of which AAP is a member, has come out in support of Kejriwal and called his arrest "politically motivated" and an attempt to deny the opposition a level playing field during the polls.

The government has denied all the accusations and said the agency is only doing their job.

Kejriwal to move Supreme Court

Kejriwal will move the Supreme Court against the Delhi high court order dismissing the plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam, AAP sources said on Tuesday., reported PTI.

Kejriwal, who is currently in judicial custody, also challenged his subsequent remand in ED custody in the case. He was sent to judicial custody in the case on April 1 after he was produced in the trial court on the expiry of ED custody.

The ED is investigating allegations that a liquor policy implemented by the Delhi government in 2022, which ended its control over the sale of liquor, gave undue advantages to private retailers.

The policy was subsequently withdrawn, and the AAP government has said no evidence of wrongdoing has emerged in the investigation.

(Agencies)