The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. He will remain in Tihar jail till April 15
“The court is of the view that the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal was not in contravention of legal provisions. The remand can’t be held to be illegal,” said Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma while delivering the verdict.
Besides his arrest in the case, Kejriwal, who is currently in judicial custody, also challenged his subsequent remand in ED custody in the case.
Here’s a Brief Chronology of Events in the Delhi Excise Policy Case:
July 2022: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommends a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise policy.
August 2022: CBI and ED register cases in connection with alleged irregularities.
September 2022: The Delhi government scrapped the excise policy which was formulated by then Excise Minister Manish Sisodia.
February 2023: Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), followed by the ED in March that year. In the chargesheet filed by the ED, Sisodia was named a “key conspirator” in the case.
October 4, 2023: AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was arrested by the ED after a 10-hour search at his home. According to the ED, Singh is a “key conspirator” in the alleged scam.
October 30, 2023: ED sent the first summons to Delhi CM Kejriwal in the money laundering case for an appearance on November 2.
December 2023: ED issues two more summonses to Kejriwal for questioning on December 21 and January 3.
January 2024: Two more summonses are sent to Kejriwal by ED for January 18 and February 2.
February 3, 2024: ED files complaint against Kejriwal before a magisterial court for skipping the summonses.
February 7, 2024: Magisterial court summons Kejriwal on the ED complaint.
February 2024: ED issued summonses for the appearance of Kejriwal on February 19, February 26 and March 4.
March 7, 2024: Magisterial court issues summons to Kejriwal on ED’s fresh complaint against him for evading summonses.
March 15, 2024: Sessions court refused to stay proceedings against Kejriwal for skipping summons.
March 16, 2024: Magisterial court grants bail to Kejriwal in ED’s complaints against him for skipping summons after he appears before it.
March 21, 2024: HC refuses to grant protection from arrest to Kejriwal on his petition challenging the summonses issued to him. ED arrested Kejriwal soon after.
March 23, 2024: Kejriwal moves HC challenging his arrest by ED and the trial court order remanding him in the agency’s custody.
April 2: Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh won bail from the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the Delhi liquor policy case.
April 9, 2024: HC dismisses Kejriwal’s petition against arrest by ED.
The Delhi excise policy case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.
(With PTI inputs)
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