Delhi HC to hear CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea against CBI arrest today

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's appeal against the CBI's arrest will be heard by the Delhi High Court today. The appeal from Delhi's chief minister will be heard by a bench chaired by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna. The petition was submitted yesterday.

The Delhi Excise Policy case led to the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. The CBI apprehended him in June.
Days before the CBI's operation, a local court had granted Arvind Kejriwal bail in the excise policy case-related money laundering case. The national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also filed a challenge against a trial court decision dated June 26 that placed him under three days of remand in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In the corruption case, Kejriwal was placed under judicial custody on June 29 and given until July 12 by the trial court. The court stated that since Kejriwal was identified as a primary conspirator and that the investigation was ongoing, additional custodial questioning would be necessary.

Arvind Kejriwal was accused by the CBI of not assisting the investigation team and of responding evasively to questions during his three days in detention. Moreover, it suggested that Kejriwal might sway witnesses in the Delhi excise policy legal matter. On June 26, the trial judge declined to rule that the CBI's arrest of him was unlawful. The trial court stated that while the arrest's timing may be "circumspect," it is not a definitive factor that would render the action unlawful.

The trial court had said,"Investigation is the prerogative of the investigating agency, however, there are certain safeguards provided in the law and at this stage, on the material on record, it cannot be said that the arrest is illegal. The agency, however, should not be overzealous."
Authorities have charged Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders with taking ₹100 crore in bribes for creating a liquor policy that benefits a select number of politicians and businesspeople. Shortly after the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi suggested looking into license grant anomalies, the idea was abandoned.