New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court to challenge his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and six days of remand in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam case.
Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 at around 9 PM hours after a division bench of the Delhi High Court refused to pass orders granting him interim protection from coercive action.
He was produced before the Special PMLA Court at Rouse Avenue District Court.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja on Friday remanded Kejriwal to ED custody until March 28.
As per the Probe agency, Kejriwal had skipped nine summons issued to him by ED.
Two other Aam Aadmi Party leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are also accused in the case and are presently in judicial custody.
Last night, after the ED raided the residence of Delhi CM, Kejriwal filed an urgent application in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on his arrest. Since no bench of the Supreme Court was available at night to give him a stay, Kejriwal was arrested at 9 PM and taken to the ED office after the due process of getting a medical checkup.
As per the legal team of Aam Aadmi Kejriwal, who has challenged the arrest and remand, the plea submits that the arrest and remand are illegal, and thus, Kejriwal is entitled to be released immediately.
Kejriwal has sought an urgent listing of the matter.
He had moved the Delhi High Court earlier, also challenging the summons issued to him by the central probe agency.
He had also filed an application seeking interim protection, in which the matter was fixed for a hearing on April 22.
Earlier, ED had filed two criminal complaints against Kejriwal in the city's Rouse Avenue Courts, alleging non-compliance with the summons. Kejriwal had skipped the summons, claiming that they were illegal.
The allegations against Kejriwal are that he was the mastermind behind the implementation of a new excise policy in the capital. Through this policy, he managed to siphon off nearly Rs 100 crore as kickbacks, which were allegedly transferred to the Party Fund.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha is also accused in the same case. She was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and is in custody until March 26 in the money laundering case connected with the alleged liquor policy scam.
UNI/SNG ARN GNK