New Delhi: A day after dismissal of bail plea by the Delhi High Court in connection with Delhi Excise police ‘scam’, AAP Supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will move Supreme Court on Wednesday. The petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 was dismissed on Tuesday, prompting Kejriwal’s legal team to approach Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for an urgent hearing at around 10.30 am.
The high court, while delivering its verdict, stated that Arvind Kejriwal had “conspired with others” and actively participated in using the proceeds of crime, as per evidence presented by the Enforcement Directorate.
It noted his involvement in the formulation of the now-repealed liquor policy and his alleged role in demanding kickbacks. Furthermore, the court highlighted his participation in activities related to the scandal as the national convenor of AAP.
Regarding the timing of the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal before the Lok Sabha elections, the court deemed his challenge as “not sustainable” in the absence of any malice on the part of the federal probe agency.
It emphasized that Kejriwal’s arrest and remand in a money laundering case must be examined according to the law, irrespective of the election timing.
The court also rejected the argument that Arvind Kejriwal could have been questioned through video conferencing, stating that it is not for the accused to decide how the investigation should be conducted. It emphasized that there cannot be any specific privilege for anyone, including the Chief Minister, and that the law should apply uniformly to all individuals.
Moments after the court’s order, the AAP leaders had voiced its disagreement claiming that that the entire case surrounding the alleged liquor scam in Delhi relies heavily on statements coerced from government witnesses through third-degree methods. The party leaders had emphasized that numerous witnesses have attested to the use of such tactics, accusing the ED of orchestrating a calculated scheme to extract contradictory statements. This scandal marks a historic first in Indian jurisprudence, with a two-year-long investigation, hundreds of raids, and over 500 testimonies yielding no conclusive evidence or resolution. Despite acknowledging the court’s authority, the AAP does not agree with the verdict and intends to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court, hoping for a similar outcome to that of Sanjay Singh, ensuring justice prevails for CM Kejriwal.
AAP leader Shri Jasmine Shah said that they respect the High Court. “However, we disagree with the decision on the petition filed against the illegal arrest of the CM. Regarding this matter, we will now knock on the door of the Supreme Court, and we are hopeful that just as Shri Sanjay Singh received justice, CM Kejriwal will also get justice only through the doors of the Supreme Court,” he added.
The AAP leader further said that the alleged liquor scam of Delhi, is the first case in Indian history where an investigation has been ongoing for almost two years, with more than 250 raids have been conducted, and over 500 witnesses summoned. Despite all these efforts, not even a penny has been recovered. However, leaders of the National Party are being systematically put in jail one by one.
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