Challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy scam, Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal moved the Delhi High Court on Saturday, March 23.
Kejriwal’s plea in Delhi HC stated that both his arrest and remand order passed by a trial court as well as all proceedings including the summonses issued against him are illegal.
In the petition, Kejriwal said he is a “vocal critic” of the ruling party, an opposition leader and a partner in the INDIA bloc, and the ED, being under the Centre’s control, has been “weaponised”.
An immediate hearing has been sought from the Acting Chief Justice by March 24.
On March 21, the ED arrested Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case after the Delhi HC refused to grant protection to the AAP convenor from any coercive action by the central investigation agency. This is the second time a sitting chief minister, the first being Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, has been arrested in an alleged corruption case in independent India.
kejriwal’s arrest led to strong reactions from Opposition parties with many calling it the ‘murder of democracy’ and an ‘announcement of dictatorship’ in India.
Several AAP workers held a nationwide protest against their leader’s arrest. AAP leader and Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters that it was no longer a fight between the BJP and AAP. “This is a fight between the country’s people and the BJP. This is no longer a fight of the AAP but a fight of all those who want clean politics in the country,” he said.
(This is a developing story. Refresh for fresh updates)
