Supreme Court Questions ED On Timing Of Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday raised doubts about the timing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, just ahead of the general elections. The court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide an explanation regarding the timing of the arrest, emphasizing the paramount importance of life and liberty.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta pressed Additional Solicitor General SV Raju for answers, highlighting the crucial nature of the matter. The bench posed several questions to Raju and requested the probe agency to respond during the next hearing of Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest in connection with the money-laundering case related to the excise policy scam.

Scheduled for Friday, the upcoming hearing will feature different judge combinations as both justices will sit separately starting Wednesday. Kejriwal, currently held in Tihar jail under judicial custody following his arrest on March 21, awaits the court’s decision on his plea.

The Supreme Court had served the ED a notice on April 15, seeking its response to Kejriwal’s petition. Earlier, on April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, citing his repeated refusal to comply with summonses and participate in the investigation.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in March by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam.