Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging the dismissal of his plea by the Delhi High Court against his arrest in the excise policy case.
It is highly anticipated that the special leave petition filed by CM Kejriwal will be mentioned Wednesday morning before Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud seeking directions for urgent listing and hearing.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court dismissed CM Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and the trial court order remanding him to the federal anti-money laundering agency’s custody.
A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma took note of the ED’s submission that the agency had enough material, including statements from approvers and allegations of involvement in the formulation of the excise policy, which had led them to arrest him.
It said, “The files and material placed before us reveal that the mandate of law was followed by the ED. The trial court order is not a two-line order. The statements with ED are of hawala dealers as well as AAP candidates in Goa elections.”
Immediately after he was taken into custody by the ED on March 21, CM Kejriwal moved the apex court seeking an urgent late-night hearing on his petition. On the very next day, before a special Bench of the Supreme Court could commence hearing the matter, he withdrew his plea and decided to contest remand proceedings before the trial court.