New Delhi:

The Supreme Court is likely to give its verdict today on interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam and is seeking a release from jail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

A bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, had reserved its verdict on interim bail to Mr Kejriwal on May 7.

Mr Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.

The bench has divided the hearing on Mr Kejriwal’s petition against his arrest into two parts. While his main petition challenges his arrest by the central probe agency and seeks it to be declared as “illegal”, the second aspect pertains to the grant of interim bail keeping in mind the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The Delhi High Court had on April 9 upheld the AAP chief’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and that the probe agency was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Delhi court extended Mr Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the money laundering case till May 20.

ED Opposes Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail 

The ED on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing Arvind Kejriwal’s petition and said that laws are equal for all and that campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls is not a fundamental, constitutional, or even a legal right.

The probe agency said that no political leader has ever been granted bail for campaigning and said that letting Mr Kejriwal out of jail to canvas for AAP candidates would set a wrong precedent.

In its affidavit, the ED pointed out that, while hearing the bail plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia — a co-accused in the same case — the court had said that the laws apply equally to all citizens and institutions, including the State.

Stating that Mr Kejriwal had sought interim bail primarily for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections, the agency submitted, “It is relevant to note that the right to campaign is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right.”

The agency also argued that 123 elections have taken place in the past five years and if interim bail is granted to Mr Kejriwal for campaigning, then no politician can be kept in judicial custody since polls take place around the year.

The ED repeated an argument it had made during the last hearing and said that campaigning is part of a politician’s job and, following the rule of equality, small farmers or small traders can also seek interim bail to carry out the demands of their work. It also stressed that Mr Kejriwal is not even contesting the ongoing elections.

The agency stated that granting bail to the Delhi Chief Minister would set a precedent that would permit “all unscrupulous politicians” to commit crimes and then evade investigation citing campaigning for one election or the other.

Supreme Court’s Last Hearing On Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had said it was not going by whether the petitioner is a politician or not. The focus, the bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, was on whether there was an exceptional circumstance which necessitated interim bail.

The Supreme Court also said that Arvind Kejriwal is the elected chief minister of Delhi and is not a habitual offender.

“There are elections… these are extraordinary circumstances and he is not a habitual offender,” the bench had said.

The bench also asked the ED why it took them two years to act against the chief minister and his party.

“The issue is that it has taken two years for this. It is not good for any investigating agency to say that it takes two years to unearth… now when will the trial start,” it asked.

All seven seats in Delhi will vote in the sixth phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections on May 25.

New Delhi:

Rejecting it as ‘not maintainable’, the Delhi High Court today imposed a Rs one lakh penalty on a petitioner, who sought permission and facilities for Arvind Kejriwal to set up the chief minister’s office in jail to govern the union territory from judicial custody.

Filed by advocate Shrikant Prasad, the PIL petition sought to facilitate virtual conferencing arrangements for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to engage with cabinet ministers, ensuring uninterrupted governance. It also sought to restrain media houses from sensationalising news about the chief minister’s potential resignation and the imposition of President’s Rule in the national capital.

On Wednesday, a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan observed that since Mr Kejriwal has already filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by ED and that the top court is considering the issue of interim release, no orders for allowing him to interact with cabinet ministers through virtual conferencing is called for in the PIL.

The bench also said that it can neither impose censorship by directing the media not to air views nor stop political opponents from making statements calling for Mr Kejriwal’s resignation.

The PIL had targeted Virendra Sachdeva, BJP Delhi president, alleging that his protests and statements create undue pressure for Mr Kejriwal’s resignation, disrupting peace and traffic flow with politically motivated intentions.

The bench rejected the PIL with a Rs 1 lakh fine to be deposited with AIIMS.

The court criticised the PIL asking, “What do we do? Impose an emergency? Impose censorship or martial law? How do we pass gag orders against the press and political rivals?”

Mr Prasad’s petition stressed the commendable track record of Delhi’s governance, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors over the past seven years. It contends that the present circumstances in the national capital violate fundamental rights under Articles 21, 14, and 19 of the Indian Constitution.

Asserting that neither the Constitution nor any law prohibits ministers, including chief ministers or prime ministers, from governing from jail, Mr Prasad’s plea stressed the urgency of the matter, citing the need to ensure continuity in governance for the welfare of the people.

“As the makers of the Constitution were vigilant enough that there might be a situation when the politics of the country will enter into the worst and at that time just to keep the public fundamental rights upheld it is very much required that there is no compulsion or any obligation for resignation, otherwise gravest repercussions may arise by repeating the same modus operandi for making any minister resign,” Mr Prasad’s PIL said.

The petition urged expedited consideration from the court, citing the exceptional governance of Delhi amidst Arvind Kejriwal’s incarceration, attributed to alleged political motives and false implications in the liquor policy case.

“The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal got a sweeping majority by winning 62 out of 70 seats in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election. Also in the preceding Delhi Assembly election on 07th Feb 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal won 67 out of 70 seats with absolute majority. The above ratio shows that governance of Delhi by Shri Arvind Kejriwal is an unprecedented move in India,” Mr Prasad’s petition said.

The plea stressed the constitutional safeguards and the imperative to maintain governance continuity despite the Chief Minister’s legal predicament.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in judicial custody in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita is the best person to keep the party together in the prevailing circumstances and asserted that her presence has had a “positive effect” on the cadre.

In an interaction with news agency PTI editors at the agency’s headquarters, Mr Bharadwaj, who is also a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, said Sunita Kejriwal has always said that she is the “messenger” of the Delhi Chief Minister who is currently in jail.

Noting that the politics of a party does not just revolve around its manifesto, Mr Bharadwaj said the support base and the emotional connection between the cadre and the top leadership also plays a crucial role in keeping an organisation together.

“Sunita Kejriwal’s presence has had a positive impact,” he adderted.

“She is delivering the messages of Arvind Kejriwal ji. This has had a great impact on our party cadre and among our sympathisers. We want to propagate it. In the present circumstances, she is the best person to keep the party together,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

Arvind Kejriwal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy, is in judicial custody till April 15.

His wife has addressed three digital briefings so far, in which she read out his messages from the Enforcement Directorate custody and Tihar Jail.

In a political debut of sorts, she read out his message at the INDIA bloc ‘maharally’ on March 31.

Asked if Sunita Kejriwal will campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “We would love if this thing happens… if Sunita ji does take part in campaigning but it is her personal decision.”

On further prodding whether there was some kind of “messaging” in Sunita Kejriwal taking centre stage after her husband’s arrest, the minister replied in the negative.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who too was arrested in the excise policy case and received bail on Wednesday, had met Sunita Kejriwal immediately after getting out of jail and was seen touching her feet.

Talking about it, the minister said if someone’s elder brother is in some difficulty, he is duty-bound to look after his family.

“This is our culture. The BJP was saying that there would be fights among the party members after Kejriwal’s arrest. Sanjay Singh considers Arvind Kejriwal his family, his elder brother. So, he touched her (Sunita Kejriwal) feet. We are working as one unit and one family,” he said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party leaders will sit on a fasting dharna at Jantar Mantar on April 7 in protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, party leader Gopal Rai said today.

Addressing a press conference, Rai, who is also a cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government, gave a call for a nationwide fast against the arrest of the party national convener.

“If you are against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister, you can fast against it on April 7. You can hold the collective fast anywhere — at home, in your city, anywhere,” he said.

Mr Rai said that the top leadership of the party was arrested with an “aim to finish AAP.”

“On April 7, Delhi government ministers, AAP MPs, MLAs, councillors and office-bearers will hold a fast at Jantar Mantar. This will be an open event and student organisations, farmer bodies, traders can come and participate in it,” he said.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. He has been sent to judicial custody till April 15.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Police detain AAP supporters who were staging a protest outside the Tihar Jail in West Delhi. The Enforcement Directorate has said that that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the “kingpin” and the “key conspirator” in the excise policy case
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

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New Delhi:

Key leaders of the INDIA bloc joined forces for a rally in the national capital today as a demonstration of their collective strength and solidarity following the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. 

The event, dubbed “Loktantra Bachao” or ‘save democracy’, will witness the participation of prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Farooq Abdullah, among others. But for Mr Kejriwal, currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam of 2022, it all goes back to where it began – Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. 

Ramlila Maidan stands as more than just a venue for festivals and celebrations. This historic ground, nestled near Ajmeri Gate, has witnessed the ebb and flow of time, evolving from a site of Ramlila festivities dating back to the 19th century to serving as Ground Zero for political protests in the national capital. 

In 1955, during a momentous Soviet visit, Nikita Khrushchev graced its ground. In 1959, then-US President Dwight Eisenhower delivered a speech at the maidan.During the dark days of the Emergency, it was here that Jayaprakash Narayan rallied the masses, igniting the flames of dissent that eventually led to the restoration of democracy. 

As Mr Kejriwal faces legal trouble, it is here, at the Ramlila Maidan, where his political career began. 

From his days as an activist against corruption alongside Anna Hazare to his ascension as Delhi’s seventh Chief Minister, Mr Kejriwal’s career in public office was greatly influenced by his days protesting at Ramlila Maidan. 

In 2011, the Ramlila Maidan served as the base for Anna Hazare’s 12-day fasting protest in support of the Jan Lokpal bill. During this time, Mr Kejriwal stood by his side, gaining widespread recognition in Delhi. In 2013, Mr Kejriwal took oath at the Ramlila Maidan after becoming Delhi’s youngest Chief Minister. He would repeat that in 2015 and then again in 2020. 

Today as Opposition leaders gather at the historic ground, Sunita Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister’s wife, will read out a message penned by her husband from ED custody. 

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are also expected to attend the rally.

The opposition is anticipated to voice vehement criticism against what it deems as the BJP’s exploitation of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and the Income Tax Department.

The BJP insists that Mr Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED and the issuance of tax notifications to the Congress were outcomes of the agencies operating autonomously and adhering to legal protocols. Additionally, it criticised the AAP for persisting in its demand for the Delhi chief minister to govern from jail.

 

New Delhi:

After India summoned an American diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated on Wednesday its call for “fair, transparent, timely legal processes”.

We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller while responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi.

The meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Mr Kejriwal.

Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts, saying, “We are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.”

Read | India Summons US Diplomat Over Comments On Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest

He said the US encourages “fair, transparent and timely legal processes” for each of these issues.

“With respect to your first question, I’m not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations, but of course, what we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes. We don’t think anyone should object to that,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the third Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader after Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh to be taken into custody in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

The US State Department on Tuesday said it is monitoring reports of Mr Kejriwal’s arrest and called on New Delhi to ensure “a fair and timely legal process” for the jailed Chief Minister.

India objected to it and warned of “unhealthy precedents”.

Read | “Encourage Fair, Transparent Legal Process”: US On Arvind Kejriwal Arrest

“States are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents,” the foreign ministry said.

“India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted,” the ministry stressed.

The US remarks came days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Mr Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government had reacted strongly and summoned the German envoy, labelling their remark “blatant interference in internal matters”.

The excise policy was introduced to bring an overhaul to the liquor business in Delhi, but was scrapped after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities in the policy. The ED believes the bribe money from the policy was allegedly used for funding the AAP’s election campaigns. It has also called Mr Kejriwal a “conspirator” in the case.

His arrest just ahead of the 2024 2024 Lok Sabha election has also prompted furious protests from the opposition camp.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
| Photo Credit: AP

After India summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to lodge a protest over remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Washington on Wednesday stressed that it encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes and “we don’t think anyone should object to that”.

“We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Mr. Miller was responding to a question during the State Department briefing over India summoning Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena in New Delhi earlier in the day as well as on freezing of Congress party’s bank accounts.

“We are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. And we encourage fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of these issues.

“With respect to your first question, I’m not going to talk about any private diplomatic conversations, but of course, what we have said publicly is what I just said from here, that we encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes. We don’t think anyone should object to that. We’ll make the same thing clear privately,” Mr. Miller said.

Ministry of External Affairs officials summoned the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena at its office in South Block in Delhi and lodged a strong protest against a US State Department official’s remarks on Kejriwal’s arrest.

The meeting lasted for more than 30 minutes.

Reports suggested that a U.S. State Department official had said that Washington “encouraged a fair, transparent and timely legal process for Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal”.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’.

The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs said Delhi takes strong objection to the remarks of the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department about certain legal proceedings in India.

“In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in the case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents,” the ministry said.

“India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted,” the MEA said.

Delhi minister Atishi on Wednesday said the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will benefit the AAP electorally in the Lok Sabha polls as the party is getting a lot of sympathy.

In an interview with PTI, Atishi termed the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case as an attack on democracy that was “never seen before” in the democratic history of the country.

“The good thing is that it has benefited us electorally,” she said, adding before the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the result of Lok Sabha polls was a forgone conclusion as people were of the view that the BJP was going to win.

“But after Kejriwal’s arrest, the level of public sympathy has gone up for us. There is just one sentiment that the BJP has gone one step too far. So, I would feel it has benefitted us electorally,” Atishi told PTI.

She said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls have become a ‘People vs BJP’ election.

“This election has become a very different kind of election. This is no longer an ‘AAP vs BJP’ or ‘INDIA bloc vs BJP’ election. After the arrest of Kejriwal, this is a ‘People vs BJP’ election,” she said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and subsequently remanded in the agency’s custody till March 28 by a court here. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged liquor policy scam case in Delhi High Court. The bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma after hearing the initial argument by the two sides has passed over the matter for a hearing later in the day. Mr Kejriwal’s counsel, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi questioned the agency’s “delaying tactics” after
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said the ED got a copy of Mr Kejriwal’s petition only yesterday and sought three weeks’ time to file a detailed reply. The matter will be taken up again after the court hears all the cases on the supplementary list.

Here are the LIVE updates on Arvind Kejriwal’s petition in court: