Supreme Court to Decide on Kejriwal’s Arrest Challenge in Money Laundering Case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict on Friday regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam.
According to the cause list for July 12 posted on the Supreme Court’s website, a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna will announce the judgment. The bench, which also includes Justice Dipankar Datta, had reserved its verdict on May 17 after hearing arguments on Kejriwal’s plea.
Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s April 9 order that upheld his arrest by the ED. The high court had ruled that the ED had little choice but to arrest Kejriwal after he repeatedly ignored summonses and declined to cooperate with the investigation.
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the money laundering case. Subsequently, on June 20, a trial court granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. However, the ED promptly moved the Delhi High Court the next day, arguing that the trial court’s bail order was biased and based on irrelevant considerations.
On June 21, the Delhi High Court imposed an interim stay on the trial court’s bail order pending a decision on the ED’s application for interim relief. This stay was further substantiated with a detailed order issued on June 25.
Kejriwal faced another arrest on June 26 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a corruption case related to Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22, which has since been discontinued.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming judgment is eagerly awaited as it will determine the legal ramifications surrounding Kejriwal’s arrest and the subsequent legal battles involving the ED and CBI.
