Delhi high court to hear Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against arrest tomorrow

The Delhi high court will hear AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against arrest by the CBI, on Tuesday.

A bench led by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna will hear the Delhi chief minister’s petition.

The petition was filed today.

Arvind Kejriwal, whom the Enforcement Directorate arrested on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy case, was arrested by the CBI in June.

The CBI’s action came days after a local court granted Arvind Kejriwal bail in the money laundering case linked to the excise policy case.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor has also challenged a June 26 order of the trial court by which he was remanded in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) custody for three days.

On June 29, Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody till July 12 in the corruption case by the trial court, which said his name has surfaced as one of the main conspirators and as the investigation is still in progress, his further custodial interrogation may be required.

The CBI claimed Arvind Kejriwal had not been cooperating with the probe team and gave evasive replies during his three-day custody.

It also claimed that Kejriwal might influence witnesses in the Delhi excise policy case.

On June 26, the trial court refused to declare his arrest by the CBI illegal. The trial judge said the timing of the arrest may be “circumspect but it is not the clear criterion for declaring an arrest illegal”.

“Investigation is the prerogative of the investigating agency, however, there are certain safeguards provided in the law and at this stage, on the material on record, it cannot be said that the arrest is illegal. The agency, however, should not be overzealous,” the trial court had said.

The agencies have accused Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of accepting ₹100 crore as kickbacks in return for formulating a liquor policy favourable to a group of politicians and businessmen. The policy was scrapped shortly after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor recommended a probe into irregularities in granting licenses.