Delhi: The petition of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, trapped in a money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor scam, will be heard in the Supreme Court today. A bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta can hear the case. Arvind Kejriwal has challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision against the arrest in the Supreme Court.
Arvind Kejriwal had challenged the arrest of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the High Court, terming it illegal. Kejriwal had earlier told the top court that his illegal arrest in the case was an attack on the principles of democracy based on free and fair elections and federalism.
In a massive blow to the Chief Minister, the Delhi High Court on April 9 said there was nothing illegal about his arrest by the ED. Justice Swarna Kanta recorded a prima facie finding that there was adequate material, including statements of approvers, involvement of middlemen and references that cash was handed over for expenditure in the 2022 Goa elections.
Mr. Kejriwal last week told the apex court that his arrest by the ED is a “classic case” of assault mounted on the Opposition against the tenets of democracy, federalism, and fair elections. Further, in his rejoinder to a counter-affidavit filed by the central agency, the APP supremo accused the BJP-ruled Union government of using the agency to crush its competition in the electoral arena ahead of the ongoing general election.
Responding to these claims, the ED argued that arresting politicians who are “criminals” is not a blow against free and fair elections.
“Treating a politician differently from an ordinary criminal in a matter of arrest would amount to arbitrary and irrational exercise of power of arrest which would violate the principle of equality enshrined under Article 14 of the Constitution,” the agency reasoned.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal will not be able to meet him in Tihar jail on Monday. The jail authorities have refused permission for the scheduled visit, Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has claimed.
Sources said that the Tihar Jail administration has cited the visit of Delhi Minister Atishi, who will meet the Chief Minister on Monday.
CM Bhagwant Mann is expected to meet CM Kejriwal on Tuesday. When CM Mann went to meet Mr Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on April 15, AAP’s Organisation General Secretary Sandeep Pathak accompanied him.
Sources in Tihar Jail said after the meeting with Atishi and Bhagwant Mann, Sunita Kejriwal could be allowed to meet Mr Kejriwal after Tuesday.
Jail rules, however, say only two visits can be allowed in a week. So if Atishi meets Arvind Kejriwal on Monday and Bhagwant Mann meets him on Tuesday, then no other meeting with Arvind Kejriwal can be held in this week.
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