The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Enforcement Directorate on the timing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The apex court sought a reply from the central probe agency over the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to reply on the question of the timing and said, “Life and liberty are exceedingly important. You can’t deny that.”
The bench, which asked Raju several other questions, asked the probe agency to reply on the next date of hearing of Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest in the money laundering case related to the excise policy scam.
The matter is likely to be taken up for hearing on Friday -- from Wednesday, both judges will be sitting in different combinations.
Earlier, the Supreme Court issued ED a notice on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal's plea. On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal's arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
No relief for Manish Sisodia
The development comes hours after Delhi's Rouse Avenue court dismissed the second regular bail application of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise policy case. His bail was opposed by both the central probe agencies CBI and ED. Earlier, the lower court, High Court and Supreme Court had refused to grant bail to Sisodia.
The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
(With PTI inputs)
Also read: Manish Sisodia's regular bail plea dismissed by court in Delhi liquor policy case
