Arvind Kejriwal to stay in jail, petition against arrest rejected
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition against his arrest in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy case. As of now, the Delhi CM will continue to be lodged in Tihar Jail until his judicial remand ends on April 15. Dismissing the plea, the court said, "The ED [Enforcement Directorate] was in possession of enough material which has led them to arrest the accused."
Why does this story matter?
Kejriwal was taken into ED custody on March 21 after the Delhi High Court declined to protect him from coercive action. Following an 11-day stint in ED custody, he was jailed for two weeks starting April 1 and is presently detained in Tihar. During a court hearing on April 3, Kejriwal questioned the timing of his arrest, implying it interfered with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and breached fundamental constitutional principles.
Enforcement Directorate's response to Kejriwal's petition
To recall, the ED, which has tagged Kejriwal as the "kingpin" of the alleged liquor policy scam, had opposed his petition. It said, "Aam aadmi has to go behind bars if he has committed a crime but because you are a chief minister you can't be arrested? You will loot the country but no one can touch you because the elections are coming?"
Details of the alleged liquor policy scam
Kejriwal has maintained that there is no substantial evidence linking him to the "scam," while the ED asserts it has traced a money trail leading directly to him. The case centers around an excise policy aimed at overhauling Delhi's liquor industry. This policy was scrapped after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena launched an investigation into "irregularities." The ED alleges that this policy allowed for high profit margins and that illegal funds were used to finance the Aam Aadmi Party's election campaigns.
Leadership crisis ahead of polls?
The arrest of Kejriwal—the face of the AAP—comes just days ahead of the general elections. The AAP, aiming to widen its influence, has allied with the Congress to contest against the BJP in Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat. With other senior leaders like Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia in jail, the party is grappling with a leadership vacuum. Notably, another senior party leader, Sanjay Singh, was released on bail last week in the excise policy scam.