On Wednesday (27th March), the Delhi High Court declined to grant interim relief to Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy scam case. The jailed Chief Minister Kejriwal had moved an interim application seeking his immediate release from ED custody.
#Breaking
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 27, 2024
No relief for Arvind Kejriwal from Delhi High Court today.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma gives ED time till April 2 to file reply to Kejriwal's interim plea seeking release from ED custody.
Next date of hearing April 3.#DelhiHighCourt #ArvindKejriwalArrest @dir_ed… pic.twitter.com/IEZpYLHMkE
During the hearing, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their response on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and remand in the money laundering case related to the liquor scam case. The court granted ED time till 2nd April to file its response. The next date for hearing is set for 3rd April.
Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju submitted that Kejriwal’s counsel had not given the agency a copy of the petition. He submitted before the court that the petition was given at the last minute, and the ED needed to file a reply and point out certain facts.
According to reports, the petition was moved on Saturday (23rd March). However, as per ED, a copy of the petition was given to them only yesterday.
Appearing for Arvind Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that they had challenged the remand itself. He also claimed that the matter did not require any replies.
Defending the delay in submitting a copy to ED, Singhvi said that it was not possible for them to serve a copy of the petition earlier as the Registry was closed on Saturday.
Regarding ED’s argument seeking time, Justice Sharma noted that it would be like deciding on the main matter if ED was not given a chance to file their response on interim relief.
Justice Sharma said, “Any order passed in the application for interim release of petitioner [Kejriwal], pending disposal of his main petition without calling for reply of ED, at this stage, would rather amount to deciding the main petition itself.”
Notably, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on 21st March in the money laundering case after he had skipped nine summons and the High Court declined to grant relief on his plea seeking ‘no-coercive action’ by the agency.
Currently, the AAP leader is in ED custody until 28th March when the agency may or may not seek an extension of his custody. However, there is no relief in sight even if ED doesn’t seek an extension. As per reports citing sources, the CBI will seek his custody in the liquor policy scam case once ED’s remand ends.
