ED produces Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal physically at Rouse Avenue court

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday produced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before Rouse Avenue court following his arrest in connection with the excise policy case. The special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja's bench will hear the matter. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing the Delhi CM.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case on Thursday after the Delhi High Court refused interim protection to Kejriwal from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case. The Delhi CM was arrested after skipping nine summons issued against him by the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi High Court, which refused to grant him relief from any coercive action by the probe agency.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped. Arvind Kejriwal's arrest came days after the ED arrested K Kavitha, Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

Earlier Manish Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member. Kejriwal's arrest also comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held from April 19 to June 1, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission earlier in the month.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member.