Delhi Court Extends Arvind Kejriwal’s Judicial Custody in Excise Policy Case

In a recent hearing, a Delhi court has decided to extend the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until April 23 in relation to the excise policy case. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, who has been under arrest since March 21, appeared before the court via virtual conference. Alongside Kejriwal, the court also extended the custody of co-accused K Kavitha until the same date. Both are currently held in Tihar Jail following their arrests by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Supreme Court has now gotten involved, seeking a response from the ED concerning Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta have given the ED until April 24 to reply, with a hearing scheduled for the last week of April. This comes after the Delhi High Court affirmed the legitimacy of Kejriwal’s arrest on April 9, citing his repeated failure to respond to summonses and refusal to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

This case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering in the creation and implementation of the Delhi government’s excise policy for the year 2021-22, which was later revoked. Kejriwal’s arrest marks a significant moment as he is the first sitting chief minister to face such legal action. His colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are also imprisoned in connection with the same case, while AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was recently released on bail from the Supreme Court.

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