delhi-hc-seeks-cbi-response-on-kejriwal-arrest

The Delhi High Court has taken cognisance of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with an alleged excise policy scam.

 

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna's bench issued a notice to the CBI, demanding a response within 7 days.

 

Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), contested his arrest and subsequent remand in CBI custody for three days, as ordered by a trial court on June 26.

 

He was later sent to judicial custody until July 12, following allegations that he played a central role in the purported corruption scheme under investigation.

 

The CBI, which took Kejriwal into custody from Tihar jail on June 26 in connection with a related money-laundering case pursued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), asserted non-cooperation during interrogation and raised concerns about potential witness tampering.

 

Despite defence claims seeking to invalidate the arrest timing, the trial court declined, underscoring that while the circumstances might raise suspicion, they did not meet the threshold for illegality.

 

Kejriwal, previously granted bail in the ED case on June 20 after an initial arrest on March 21, faced a setback when the high court intervened and stayed the trial court's bail order.

 

The controversy stems from the 2022 scrapping of Delhi's excise policy, following allegations of procedural irregularities and favoritism in its implementation, prompting a CBI inquiry at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor.