Experts discuss Arvind Kejriwal's arrest and the impact on upcoming general elections

A Delhi court on Friday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) custody till March 28, a day after his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the Rouse Avenue court said Kejriwal will be produced before the court on March 28 at 2 pm. The court passed the order on the Enforcement Directorate's application seeking 10-day custody in the case.

Arvind Kejriwal "took advantage" of being the chief minister of Delhi to facilitate money laundering by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is a "major beneficiary" of the proceeds of crimes generated in the alleged liquor scam case, the ED claimed Friday.

"Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the NCT of Delhi, is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi Excise scam in collusion with ministers of the Delhi government, AAP leaders and other persons," the ED informed a special PMLA court while seeking his custody.

An expert panel on CNBC-TV18 discussed various aspects pertaining to the case.

Siddharth Sharma, speaking on behalf of the AAP, emphasised the gravity of the situation, pointing out the distinction between the lawful application of justice and its potential misuse.

Siddharth Sharma, Spokesperson, AAP said, “As far as Arvind Kejriwal getting arrested is concerned, what is the modus operandi? First, the BJP raids corporates through its ED, or, as I like to call it, election desperation. Then it extorts money in the name of electoral bonds from them. This is what happened with Aurobindo Pharma MD, and then it turns that accused person into an approver and arrests Arvind Kejriwal on such a statement.”

BJP's Charu Pragya argued that if the ED had apprehended Arvind Kejriwal earlier, critics would have accused them of acting prematurely and denying Kejriwal a fair chance to defend himself. She contended that Kejriwal had been served nine summonses, each of which he disregarded.

“They could have avoided this had they just responded to the first summon or the second one or the third one. Nine summons were given to the chief minister of Delhi and he blatantly chose to ignore every single one of them. In fact, many times his excuses were actually feeble.”

Corporate Lawyer HP Ranina underscored the critical importance of factual accuracy in cases governed by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Ranina explained that if the facts are unequivocal, bail may be denied, allowing the court to proceed with the investigation unimpeded.

Political Analyst Piyush Joshi opined that Kejriwal's arrest constitutes a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), particularly in states like Delhi and Punjab, where he holds considerable sway. Joshi suggested that Kejriwal's continued detention could hinder the AAP's electoral prospects in these regions, potentially tilting the political landscape in favor of the BJP. He implied that such a scenario would undermine the principles of fair competition and a level playing field in the electoral arena.