New Delhi: The Delhi High Court declined to provide interim relief to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Liquor Policy case. The court’s decision came on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to allow sufficient time for the ED to present its report.
While rejecting the plea for interim relief, the High Court directed the Enforcement Directorate to submit its response within seven days, by April 3. This decision comes as the ED’s custody of Kejriwal is set to end on March 28.
Arvind Kejriwal, in his plea before the High Court, contended that the ED had failed to establish his involvement in the case. His legal team argued that the agency had not provided sufficient evidence to prove the allegations against him under Section 3 of the relevant legislation.
“The DOE has at the time of arrest failed to establish that Petitioner is guilty of committing activities stipulated under Section 3, i.e., be it one of concealment, possession, acquisition, use of proceeds of crime as much as projecting it as untainted property or claiming it to be so,” Kejriwal’s legal team stated.
Furthermore, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief criticized his arrest by the ED, labeling it as a pre-meditated political vendetta.
In a video message earlier today, Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita, highlighted that despite the central agency conducting 250 raids in the last two years, no evidence linking her husband to any scam had been found. She asserted that Kejriwal would reveal substantial details regarding the alleged “so-called liquor scam” in court on March 28.
The denial of interim relief by the Delhi High Court sets the stage for further legal proceedings in the case, with the ED expected to present its response within the stipulated timeframe.