Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court challenging Delhi HC's order upholding ED arrest in liquor scam

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Synopsis

Notably, many petitions have also been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking Kejriwal's removal from the post of Chief Minister owing to his involvement in the liquor scam

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of his petition contesting his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the liquor policy scam.

The High Court prima facie opined that 'Kejriwal played an active role in concealing'. Furthermore, the court emphasized ED's investigation that suggested Kejriwal’s involvement in both his individual capacity and in his role as the national convener of AAP. 

In response to Kejriwal's accusations of questioning the legitimacy and accuracy of the approver's testimonies, the bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma asserted that 'doubting or casting aspersions on the statements of an approver is tantamount to undermining the integrity of the judicial process itself'.

The court reiterated the sanctity of the judicial process and emphasized the significance of honoring the role of an approver, an established legal mechanism with a rich history in jurisprudence. Furthermore, it elucidated that the 'law concerning approvers is not a recent enactment but rather has endured for over a century, serving as a vital mechanism for justice'.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 late evening. He has been in ED's custody since.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted searches at Delhi Chief Minister's residence yesterday following the Delhi High Court's decision to deny him protection from coercive action in an excise policy-related money laundering case.

A Bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain denied interim protection to Kejriwal and listed his application for further consideration on April 22.

The case involves allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of Delhi's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.  Meanwhile, outside Kejriwal's residence, a crowd gathered, including AAP MLAs and party leaders, protesting the ED's actions. AAP leaders criticized the BJP and ED, alleging political conspiracy and misuse of power to target Kejriwal.