Kejriwal, who is lodged in jail number 2 of the Tihar prison, was remanded to judicial custody till April 15. In an affidavit filed before the Delhi High Court, the ED said the CM is the “kingpin” and the “key conspirator” in the excise policy case.
The Delhi High Court is hearing a petition by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy case. The petition seeking his immediate release from ED’s custody is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
On Tuesday, the ED told the High Court that the Chief Minister is the “kingpin” and the “key conspirator” in the excise policy case and that, based on the material evidence in the agency’s possession, there are “reasons to believe” that Mr. Kejriwal is also guilty of money laundering. The ED made the remarks in an affidavit to the court while opposing Mr. Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the Central probe agency.
Mr. Kejriwal is lodged in the Tihar Jail in the national capital till April 15 after his judicial custody was extended by the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi on April 1.
In another significant development in the matter, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to AAP leader Sanjay Singh in the same case, as the ED chose to make a tactical withdrawal rather than risk an order from the top court which may affect the trial later on.
Meanwhile, buoyed by the Supreme Court’s order, the Aam Aadmi Party called it a “big day for democracy” and hoped its other leaders would also be out of jail and the “mountain of lies” created by the BJP would collapse in the coming days. Atishi, also a Cabinet Minister in the Delhi Government, said for two years, AAP leaders have been targeted in fake cases and arrested.
