The Delhi High Court has acknowledged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The court has instructed the CBI to reply to the petition and scheduled the next hearing for July 17.
Kejriwal was apprehended by the CBI on June 26 while he was already in judicial custody related to a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Despite being granted bail by a trial court in the ED case on June 20, this decision was later overturned by the Delhi High Court on June 25.
Subsequently, the CBI took Kejriwal into custody until June 29. Afterward, he was placed in judicial custody until July 12 as the CBI did not seek an extension.
In his plea before the High Court, Kejriwal argued that his arrest violated the stipulations under Section 41 and 60A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). He contended that the Investigating officer failed to follow the required procedures before arresting him, rendering the arrest unlawful.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing Kejriwal, highlighted that the delay in the arrest, occurring almost two years after the FIR was filed in 2022, was unwarranted. Singhvi emphasized that Kejriwal had already been in judicial custody for the ED case, so concerns about tampering with evidence or posing a threat were baseless.
The argument put forth was that Kejriwal’s circumstances did not justify an immediate arrest, given that he was already in custody for a separate case. Singhvi emphasized that the arrest memo should have had valid reasons and that concerns about interference or danger did not apply to Kejriwal’s situation.
The High Court’s observation underscores the ongoing legal battle surrounding Kejriwal’s arrest and the complexity of the case involving multiple investigating agencies and legal provisions.