New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi has extended the Judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 23 in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam till April 23.
On Monday, a Special Judge for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kaveri Baweja, extended Kejriwal's custody after he was produced before the court through video-conferencing on the expiry of his period of custody granted earlier. The ED sought an extension of Kejriwal's custody, saying the investigation was at a crucial stage.
SC seeks response from ED on a plea by Kejriwal challenging his arrest
Earlier today, the Supreme Court sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on a plea by Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a money-laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued notice to the ED on Kejriwal's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order that had upheld his arrest in the case.
The bench asked the ED to file a reply to the plea by April 24 and said the matter would be heard in the week commencing April 29. The high court had on April 9 upheld his arrest in the money-laundering case, saying the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The high court had dismissed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's petition challenging his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in the federal agency's custody. The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
(With inputs from agency)
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