New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, March 21, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case, sources confirmed to The Wire.
“We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal… We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight,” AAP leader Atishi said.
We have moved the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest of Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, by ED. We have asked for an urgent hearing by the Supreme Court tonight itself.
Advertisement— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) March 21, 2024
Right before the arrest, Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court seeking protection from any coercive action by the ED in the excise policy case.
#WATCH | AAP leader Atishi says, “We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal… We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will… pic.twitter.com/XWQJ1D6ziR
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2024
Notably, the ED arrest comes on the same day the Election Commission of India uploaded electoral bond data on its website.
In the evening, an ED team arrived at the residence of the Delhi chief minister, shortly after the Delhi high court declined to provide him with any protection from coercive action in
This is the same case in which Aam Aadmi Party leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia are in judicial custody after they were arrested during questioning in the matter. Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha was also arrested in connection with the case last week.
According to the Indian Express, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said he was denied entry to Kejriwal’s Civil Lines house, with Delhi Police barricading the roads leading to the premises.
“We are not able to contact the CM or his secretary. We are assuming the ED team has confiscated their phones,” he said.
“There are clear signs that a raid is underway at the residence and he might be arrested.”
ED officials stated that they visited Kejriwal’s residence to serve him a summons in the case, Hindustan Times reported.
However, PTI said the officials possessed a search warrant.
The AAP chief had earlier skipped multiple summonses of the agency in the case.
Responding to the summons, Atishi said, per IE, “Kejriwal wishes to co-operate with the ED investigation. However, our understanding is that ED is not just an investigative agency, but BJP’s political weapon and wants to arrest Kejriwal.”
Till date, the ED has issued nine summons to Kejriwal – on March 4, February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, and December 22 and November 2 last year, HT reported. On Sunday (March 17), the probe agency issued fresh summons to him asking him to appear before it on March 21 for questioning, which he skipped, the report added.
However, Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi said, “The matter is going on in the court, April 22 has been decided as the next date. What was the hurry to raid, to arrest, to search?… The way police have been deployed here is condemnable… We have no contact with Arvind Kejriwal. Further intentions will soon become clear…”
As per reports, the Delhi high court listed the AAP leader’s application seeking protection for further consideration on April 22, when his main petition challenging the summons is scheduled for hearing.
Originally published on March 21 at 8:10 pm, this story has been republished on the same date at 9:17 pm with the news of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED.
