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The Delhi high court will on Wednesday, March 27, hear a plea by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and seeking his immediate release in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
Arvind Kejriwal’s petition, which has sought the release on account of the arrest and the subsequent remand to the ED being “illegal”, is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10.30am.
The ED arrested the Delhi chief minister hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. On Friday, the trial court had remanded Arvind Kejriwal in the ED’s custody till March 28.
Arvind Kejriwal had earlier moved the high court for quashing and setting aside all proceedings, including summonses, issued against him.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested over alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped. Top Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the same case.
The ed has alleged that the accused were in touch with Arvind Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP.
Arvind Kejriwal arrest: Protests on Delhi streets
On Tuesday, the AAP took to the streets over the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal with its leaders and workers trying to march towards the prime minister’s residence before being stopped while the BJP held counter protests demanding the Delhi chief minister’s resignation.
During the day, Arvind Kejriwal issued a new order from ED custody to health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to address the shortage of medicines and diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics and hospitals in the city. This is the second direction issued by the chief minister from the ED custody.
As the AAP leaders and supporters gathered near Patel Chowk Metro Station to move towards the prime minister’s residence in Lok Kalyan Marg, Gopal Rai alleged that the way the Centre has imposed restrictions under section 144 “across the city”, it seems Delhi has become a “police state”.
Police beefed up security in several parts of the national capital, including around the prime minister’s residence and Central Delhi, by deploying its personnel and those of paramilitary forces.
A senior police officer said around 100 people, including AAP leader Somnath Bharti, Delhi assembly deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains, were detained during the protest. Later, they were released.
The BJP also staged a protest against the AAP near Delhi Secretariat, demanding the resignation of Kejriwal.
At least 57 BJP members, including the party’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, were detained as they tried to march towards the Delhi Secretariat. Police also used water cannons to stop them.
(With inputs from agencies)
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