The court said there was no contravention of legal provisions regarding the arrest.
File Photo Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s writ petition challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement in the excise policy scam linked money laundering case.
The court said there was no contravention of legal provisions regarding the arrest.
It said the probe agency had enough material which led to the arrest of the AAP supremo, while the trial court had remanded him in ED’s custody through an order which was well reasoned.
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The verdict was delivered by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma who also made it clear that it was not dealing with Kejriwal’s bail petition rather with the writ petition against his arrest on some grounds.
Speaking to reporters, ED’s counsel ASG S V Raju said, “The judge gave the verdict after considering all the evidence. The court has mentioned that a money trail was found, and that the arrest is legal.”
Meanwhile, AAP sources SAID the party is not happy with the court’s verdict and plans to take things further and challenge the same.
Hitting back, the Delhi BJP said the chief minister has lost all moral right to continue in the office.
Kejriwal is currently lodged at the Tihar Prisons. His judicial custody is till April 15.
The Delhi High Court, on March 27, had refused to grant any interim relief to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, observing that while deciding a case, it is duty-bound to hear both sides fairly.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought time to file a reply to Kejriwal’s petition, and court had given time till April 2 for the same.
Kejriwal had moved the High Court on March 23 challenging the arrest by ED and custodial remand by the trial court. He had also moved an urgent plea before the Supreme Court against his arrest, but later withdrew it.
The AAP chief was arrested by the federal anti- money laundering agency on March 21, hours after the court failed to grant him protection from coercive action by the probe agency.
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