In a turn of events, a Delhi court has remanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody until March 28. The ED had sought Kejriwal's custody for a duration of 10 days, citing the need to investigate the alleged money laundering case thoroughly.
During the court proceedings, the ED presented its case, claiming to possess sufficient evidence leading to a prima facie conclusion of guilt against Kejriwal. The agency asserted that there exists a money trail amounting to ₹600 crores, implicating the Chief Minister in the alleged financial irregularities under investigation.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented Kejriwal, contended that the arrest of a sitting Chief Minister is unprecedented in independent India's history.
He further argued that general allegations of money laundering are insufficient grounds for arrest unless a direct money trail linking Kejriwal is established. The court granted ED custody of Kejriwal for a period of six days, considering the gravity of the allegations and the need for thorough investigation.
This comes after Kejriwal withdrew his petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from the Supreme Court.
Earlier, a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court convened on Friday to address CM Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to excise policy. Kejriwal approached the apex court on Thursday night following his arrest by the ED.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, urgently sought the listing of the case before a bench presided over by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.
Upon Singhvi's request, the Chief Justice directed him to present the plea before a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Singhvi promptly moved to Justice Khanna's court and brought up the matter.
First Published: Mar 22, 2024 12:54 PM IST
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