A bench of the high court reserved the order after hearing the arguments by both sides.
WEB DESK
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its decision on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy case.
A bench of the high court reserved the order after hearing the arguments by Delhi CM’s counsel senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who represented the federal probe agency.
Reportedly, Singhvi, during the hearing of the matter, submitted that Kejriwal’s arrest after the imposition of the model code of conduct (MCC) was aimed at not letting him participate in democratic activities. He said there was no material evidence to show the proceeds of the crime in the case.
Stating that the agency’s probe was at an initial stage, he prayed for rejection of the plea filed by Delhi CM, adding that the argument that an accused person should not be arrested as he is involved in politics during election time would be bogus.
The federal probe agency called Kejriwal the “kingpin and the key conspirator” in the alleged liquor policy scam in connivance with other Delhi ministers, leaders of the AAP, and other persons.
Kejriwal contended in the petition that his arrest and the remand order passed by a trial court were not legal and that he was entitled to be released immediately from custody.
The Delhi CM was arrested on the night of March 21 by the ED officials from his official residence following questioning for about two hours and was later sent to ED’s custodial remand by a Delhi Court on March 22, till April 1, presently he is under judicial custody at the Tihar Jail till April 15.
Earlier on March 27, the high court refused to grant interim relief to the accused observing that while deciding a case it is duty-bound to hear both sides fairly.