Arvind Kejriwal’s Appeals Court Will Consider His Argument Against Arrest In The Delhi Liquor Policy Case

The Delhi Lok Sabha elections are in less than seven weeks, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against his detention by the Enforcement Directorate will be heard by the Supreme Court today. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in relation to a money laundering case involving Delhi’s now-canceled alcohol policy.

The Delhi High Court recently denied relief, citing evidence from the central investigative agency that suggested Kejriwal was involved in the policy’s formulation and was reportedly demanding ₹100 crore in bribes. This led to the decision to take the case to the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal quickly sought redress from the Supreme Court after the high court’s ruling. But since the court was closed on Eid and the next weekend, no prompt hearing was allowed. At about 10:30 a.m. today, a bench made up of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear Kejriwal’s appeal.

Kejriwal argues in his appeal against the high court’s decision that he was arrested during election season for a different reason. He highlights the significance of federalism and free and fair elections, characterizing his imprisonment as an unprecedented attack on democratic values.

With Kejriwal’s detention, prominent AAP figures have been arrested in relation to the issue three times now: Manish Sisodia, his former deputy, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested before. Since then, Singh has been freed on bond.

The inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate is a result of a 2022 CBI case that was started in response to a report from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena about purported anomalies in the excise policy. According to the study, AAP leaders planned a plot when the liquor policy was being formulated, purposefully including loopholes that would help some licensees. Nine months later, amid political turmoil and accusations of corruption, the policy was withdrawn.

The AAP has sharply refuted the allegations made against its members, emphasizing that no illegal money was found during ED searches. Saurabh Bharadwaj, the minister for Delhi, has denounced the scenario as a political plot and said that witnesses were under pressure to support the ED’s story.