Kejriwal arrest highlights | Whether I am inside or outside, life is dedicated to country: Kejriwal

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Arvind Kejriwal opposes the remand plea of the Enforcement Directorate and submits that the first thing they need to show is the necessity to arrest. Power of arrest and necessity of arrest are two different things, adds Singhvi. - 

ANI

During custody hearing, ED claimed that Arvind Kejriwal is the 'key conspirator and kingpin' in demanding kickbacks from liquor businessmen

West Bengal could also witness a scene similar to the national capital, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said on Friday, referring to the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Hitting back, the TMC said that such a statement reflected the "BJP's fear of losing" the Lok Sabha elections.

Kejriwal, the national convenor of the AAP, was arrested by the ED on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

"Last month, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemmant Soren was arrested. Now, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. It only shows that being a chief minister doesn't grant you any sort of impunity if you are involved in corruption. Similar allegations of corruption have emerged in West Bengal in recent years. So, the state could also witness similar scenes like New Delhi," Majumdar said.

The TMC alleged that the BJP was using central agencies to "terrorise" the opposition.

"Sensing defeat, the BJP is now desperate to hold onto power either by hook or crook. The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal hints at it. Secondly, in Bengal too, the BJP is using central agencies to pursue political vendetta," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

PTI

'I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds,' says Anna Hazare

Arvind Kejriwal withdraws his petition in Supreme Court against arrest by ED. Kejriwal's lawyer tells court Kejriwal is withdrawing the plea because it clashes with the remand. Kejriwal will contest the remand. 

On February 2, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's arrest by the ED in a money laundering case and asked him to approach the high court. Soren had resigned as CM just before his arrest. 

The same 3-judge bench that will hear Kejriwal's case against his arrest had rejected Soren's plea. 

Soren's lawyer Kapil Sibal had told the SC that 'in these kinds of cases, this court needs to send a message. Here, we are dealing with a chief minister, who has been arrested. Please see the evidence. This is not fair".

Justice Khanna told Sibal, "First, the courts are open to everybody. Second, high courts are also constitutional courts. If we permit one person to approach the apex court, then we will have to permit everyone".

with PTI inputs

Supreme Court Special Bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela Trivedi will hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging ED arrest today.

Live Law says 'In February, the very same bench had refused to entertain the petition filed by Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren against his ED arrest, asking him to approach the High Court.'

Supreme Court says BRS leader K Kavitha can move trial court or invoke any other remedy for grant of bail and bail application, if any filed, be decided expeditiously. 

Supreme Court remarks that it has to follow a uniform policy for all and can't allow people to approach the top court directly for bail as they are a political person. 

- The ED has alleged that BRS leader K Kavitha conspired with top AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, to get favours in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy by paying Rs 100 crore. 

-The AAP dismissed the allegation and said even the Supreme Court had not found credibility in the claim.

- "Even the SC has discarded ED's claim that any money trail of Rs 100 crore exists in this matter. The entire world knows by now that the entire excise case is fake and without an iota of evidence," it said.

- The Enforcement Directorare on March 18 alleged that Arvind Kejriwal was a conspirator in the Delhi liquor policy case. 

- ED's statement came soon after it arrested BRS leader K Kavitha. 

- 'Kavitha along with others conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy-formulation and implementation,' ED claimed in its statement.

- The ED said that 'in exchange of these favours, Kavitha was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP' 

- The Indian Express reported that the ED in a supplementary chargesheet has alleged that Kejriwal spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, himself over a video call. ED said that the Delhi CM asked Mahendru to continue working with co-accused Vijay Nair whom he referred to as 'his boy'.

We are constantly in touch with members of the INDIA bloc. They have all extended support to Arvind Kejriwal. We are all together - AAP

Convenor of one of the six national parties in the country has been arrested. The BJP does not want Kejriwal to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections - AAP

Delhi minister Atishi holds a press conference, questions Centre over the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal

- Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government in November 2021 implemented the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Under the policy. 

- The Delhi government exited totally from the liquor business opening the avenue completely for private players.

- However, the government was forced to scrap the policy in July after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry over allegations of irregularities in the policy.

- This after, Delhi chief secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report alleging violations of rules and procedural lapses. 

- The report also accused then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of bending rules and providing undue benefits to liquor vend licensees in return for kickbacks and commission.

- It has been alleged that AAP spent the money on campaigning for Goa and Punjab elections. 

- The Aam Admi Party has rejected all the allegations and reported a substantial 27% increase in income from the liquor policy that generated around ₹ 8,900 crore. 

- However, the ED has claimed that the policy caused ₹2,800 crore loss to the Delhi government.

The Supreme Court is likely to hear Kejriwal's plea against his arrest today after it rejected an urgent hearing for Thursday night

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night in a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy case. 

Soon after his arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party said that Kejriwal will not resign as the chief minister and continue to run the government from jail. 

Kejriwal was taken to the ED headquarters in Delhi after his arrest and he spent the night there. 

There was high security deployment at Kejriwal's house after the ED arrived and initiated a search of the premises. He was arrested more than two hours later. 

AAP’s Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai on Thursday gave a call for a nationwide protest against the BJP following Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Rai said Kejriwal's arrest is the "murder of democracy" and an "announcement of dictatorship".

PTI

No special Supreme Court bench was set up on Thursday night to hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

PTI reported quoting sources that the plea was likely to be heard on Friday.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been taken to the ED headquarters after his arrest

Sambit Patra, BJP:

'A high voltage drama is going on outside the residence of Arvind Kejriwal. A celebration of corruption is going on... If their Excise policy was so good, why was it cancelled? Why and how did you introduce cartelization in the whole process of liquor procurement?... Why did he give contracts to his close ones? Initially 5% commission was given which was increased to 12%, and even 7% additional commission was received by him in the form of black money... There is no court left in this country which the AAP did not approach to spread their lies. Still, they did not get any relief from anywhere'

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Soon after his arrest, Delhi minister Atishi said that the chief minister will run the govt from jail.

However, can a sitting chief minister be arrested? While the President of India and state governors are exempt from criminal and civil proceedings, the same immunity has not been granted to the prime minister or the chief ministers.

Even if arrested, a chief minister is not legally barred from running the govt from a jail. Their removal from office in case of an investigation, even if jailed, will happen only if they are convicted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case. 

Shortly after an Enforcement Directorate team reached the Delhi chief minister's residence on Thursday, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann said "BJP's political team ED cannot imprison Arvind Kejriwal's thinking”.

In a post on on X, Mann said, "BJP ki rajnitik team ED Kejriwal ki soch ko qaid nahi kar sakti kyunki AAP hee BJP ko rok sakti hai..Soch ko kabhi bhi dabaya nahi ja sakta. (BJP's political team ED, cannot imprison Kejriwal's thinking..because only AAP can stop the BJP. Thinking can never be suppressed.)”

Delhi Legislative Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel says 'even if Kejriwal is arrested, he will not resign,'

Security was beefed up around Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines Thursday evening with the deployment of RAF and CRPF units along with Delhi Police personnel as Enforcement Directorate officials reached there in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

"The deployment has been made in anticipation of a gathering of AAP workers near his residence," a police officer said.

The move came as the ED sought additional security measures in view of the possible protests, sources said.

They said Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CRPF units have been deployed alongside additional Delhi Police personnel around Kejriwal's residence after ED raids.

Barricades were put up on the lane leading to his official residence in Civil Lines in north Delhi and additional police personnel deployed there, officials said.

(PTI)

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that 'it seems like the ED is conducting raids' at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house after the news broke that the probe agency is at his residence with a search warrant. 

'Preparations are on to arrest Kejriwal', the AAP minister said

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reached Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence Thursday evening, officials said, shortly after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

They said the agency team went to Kejriwal's residence to serve him a summons in the case. The team also informed the staff at the chief minister's residence that it has a search warrant, they said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief had earlier skipped multiple summonses of the agency in the case.