Delhi CM Kejriwal's Legal Battle with ED

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sparred over his arrest in the alleged liquor policy scam. The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, defended the timing of Kejriwal's arrest, asserting that criminals should be arrested regardless of elections. They claimed to have a solid money trail and evidence implicating Kejriwal.

Kejriwal's lawyer, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, countered by alleging that the arrest aimed to discredit and weaken the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of elections. He argued that the ED lacked evidence and questioned the urgency of the arrest.

The ED dismissed Kejriwal's claims that his arrest was based on unreliable statements from accused-turned-approvers. They cited WhatsApp chats and statements from hawala operators as evidence.

Singhvi criticized the ED for not attempting to take Kejriwal's statement before his arrest and questioned the repeated summonses sent to him. He highlighted discrepancies in the statements against Kejriwal and accused the prosecution of pressuring individuals to implicate him.

The court reserved its order for the following day.

Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and ex-Health Minister Satyendar Jain are currently in Tihar Jail. Despite being remanded to judicial custody till April 15, the ED argued against his release, fearing it could obstruct their investigation.

The clash in court underscores the political tension surrounding Kejriwal's arrest, with opposition parties accusing the ruling BJP of orchestrating a political vendetta through investigative agencies.