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On Delhi High Court's dismissal of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Excise Policy money laundering case, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that the court's order has exposed him.
"Today's order against Kejriwal exposes that he is not staunchly honest but he is completely corrupt. There is prima facie material available against him, evidence available against him," he said. He further slammed the Chief Minister over running the Delhi government from jail. "He not only formulated the said policy but he was involved in taking kickbacks...There is no room left for the AAP to play victimhood card. Today they must tell us how can Kejriwal continue as chief minister that too from inside Tihar jail?" he added. Notably, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal will move to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Delhi High Court dismissing the plea challenging his arrest by the ED, sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the Aam Aadmi Party does not agree with the decision of the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case and said that Kejriwal's arrest is not in contravention of Law and remand can't be termed "illegal". The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma said, ED was in possession of enough material, which led them to arrest Kejriwal. The non-joining of the investigation by Kejriwal and, the delay caused by him were also impacting those in judicial custody. The material collected by the Enforcement Directorate reveals that Arvind Kejriwal conspired and was actively involved in the use and concealment of proceeds of crime. The ED case also reveals that he was involved in his personal capacity as well as the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party. The court further stated that this court is of the opinion that the accused has been arrested and his arrest and remand have to be examined as per law and not as per the timing of elections. Kejriwal's challenge to the timing of arrest before general elections in the absence of any mala fide on the part of ED is not sustainable, said the court. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the excise policy case. The trial court sent Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody until April 15, 2024. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency also claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped. (ANI)
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