The Supreme Court of India is set to deliver its judgment on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 12.
The suspected excise policy fraud is connected to the arrest. Judge Sanjiv Khanna will preside over a bench that will render the decision.
On May 17, the supreme court postponed making a decision. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju contended during the sessions that there was proof money was being transferred to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) via hawala networks.
Raju claims that conversations about the proceeds of crime between Kejriwal and hawala operators were discovered by the ED.
Kejriwal’s attorney, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, contested the ED’s evidence, claiming it was unavailable at the time of Kejriwal’s arrest.
On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1 in the money laundering case. However, the court ordered that he should not visit the Office of the chief minister or the Delhi Secretariat. The bench directed Kejriwal to surrender on June 2, and he complied with this order.
Kejriwal’s plea in the apex court is an appeal against the Delhi high court’s judgment, which dismissed his plea against his arrest and subsequent remand by the ED in the excise policy case. In his appeal, Kejriwal argued that his arrest after the announcement of the General Elections was “motivated by extraneous considerations.”
On April 9, the High Court dismissed Kejriwal’s plea for release and rejected his argument of political vendetta in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The high court noted that Kejriwal’s absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined his claims of special privilege as chief minister, suggesting his arrest was a consequence of non-cooperation.
“The high court had said that Kejriwal’s absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined any claims of special privilege as Chief Minister, suggesting his arrest was an inevitable consequence of his non-cooperation.”
In connection with a money laundering investigation into purported anomalies in the since-canceled Delhi excise policy 2021–2022, Kejriwal was detained by the ED on March 21.
“The apex court’s judgment will come from Kejriwal’s appeal against a Delhi high court judgment which dismissed his plea against arrest by the ED and his subsequent remand in the excise policy case.”
The ED’s investigation has led to several claims and counterclaims as Kejriwal tries to defend his position amidst the ongoing scrutiny. The outcome of the Supreme Court’s decision is highly anticipated and will likely have significant political implications.