Today at 4:30 PM, the Delhi High Court will decide on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea regarding his arrest. Kejriwal, Delhi’s Chief Minister and AAP leader, was arrested over a money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise Policy scam.
NEW DELHI: Today (27th March): The Delhi High Court is set to deliver its verdict today at 4.30 pm in the plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal against his arrest in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise Policy scam.
“Since I have not heard the other side, I am not reserving judgment. I will pass orders. Around 4:30/4:45pm, I will upload the order,” the judge said.
Currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until March 28, Kejriwal’s legal counsel, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued against the necessity of arrest and emphasized the political implications of the timing of the arrest, asserting that it aims to undermine the party’s integrity ahead of elections.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, sought time to file a reply due to the voluminous nature of the petition, highlighting the need for a coordinated response to the plea and interim relief requests. The court expressed its intention to issue notices and hear arguments on the interim release of Kejriwal, while also considering the ED’s submission for more time to respond.
ASG SV Raju, representing the ED, stated,
“We have repeatedly requested a copy of the petition since the beginning, on the 24th and 25th in writing, but it was only provided to us yesterday. The petition is extensive, spanning 500 pages. We require time to prepare a response, both to the petition itself and the separate interim relief application. Despite our emails requesting copies, they intentionally delayed providing them until yesterday. We need sufficient time to address the points raised and make necessary submissions. We request three weeks to respond to the main matter and additional time for the interim relief.”
In response to that Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma stated,
“While I acknowledge that your client is arrested, I must issue notice and await their response.” Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, representing Kejriwal, emphasized, “In cases of wrongful arrest, Your Lordship has often relied on the records themselves for judgment. If the records support it, that’s acceptable; if not, Your Lordship will dismiss it. As for the response, it’s unnecessary.” “I am certain I will issue the notice, albeit for a brief period, and regarding the interim order, I can hear and make a decision on it,” clarified the Court.
Singhvi argued, citing
Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), that all conditions must be met. He contested the necessity of Kejriwal’s arrest, pointing out that the first summons was issued 20 months after the ED initiated the case. Singhvi questioned the need for custodial interrogation, asserting that the ED’s claim of non-cooperation doesn’t justify arrest.
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Singhvi argued against the necessity of arrest in the current case, stating that the statements provided do not warrant arrest. He emphasized the lack of corroborating evidence, describing the absence of any such evidence as remarkable.
Singhvi said that that this case is significant for democracy and the basic structure. In opposition, ASG Raju requested time to prepare a response, citing the complexity of the arguments presented. He also highlighted the need for time to reply to the interim application, noting that one of the prayers in the main writ petition duplicates that of the interim application.
Raju further argued that deciding the interim application would render the main petition redundant. The court acknowledged the arguments and scheduled the order for 4.30 pm today. Notably, on March 22, Kejriwal was granted a 6-day remand to the ED. Kejriwal appeared in the trial court shortly after withdrawing his writ petition against the ED’s arrest in the Supreme Court.
During the withdrawal, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi informed the Supreme Court of their intention to contest the ED’s request for remand in the trial court.
The plea comes after Kejriwal was remanded to a 6-day custody by the ED on March 22, following his arrest. The legal battle began when Kejriwal withdrew his plea from the Supreme Court, opting to contest the ED’s request for remand in the trial court. The arrest occurred after the Delhi High Court denied protection to Kejriwal from coercive actions by the ED, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the AAP leader.
