Court extends Kejriwal's ED custody in Delhi liquor scam case till Apr 1
New Delhi: Aam Admi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently jailed on corruption charges in an alleged liquor policy scam, has been remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for four more days till April 1, media reports said.
The court extended his remand by three days as the period of ED custody expired today, reported NDTV.
Earlier this month, Kejriwal was arrested following the Delhi High Court's refusal to intervene.
Shortly after, the ED officials conducted a raid on the residence of the Aam Aadmi Party leader and took him into custody.
Although Kejriwal initially appealed to the Supreme Court for relief, his legal team decided to withdraw the plea citing unfavourable legal precedent for the Delhi Chief Minister.
Kejriwal was then placed in ED custody for a week, which has now come to an end.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal has sought legal intervention against his arrest by moving the Delhi High Court, contending that the actions of the probe agency infringed upon his fundamental rights.
However, the court opted not to take immediate action and instead issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate, requesting a response by April 2.
The hearing at the Delhi High Court is scheduled to resume on April 3, the report said.
Furthermore, the court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking Kejriwal's removal from the position of Chief Minister due to his arrest.
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, heading the bench, declined to comment on the merits of the matter, stating that it was beyond the scope of judicial interference.
Earlier today, Kejriwal was granted permission to directly address the court.
In a brief yet impassioned speech, he accused the probe agency of attempting to "crush" his party.
Kejriwal, reiterating AAP’s statement on his arrest, said that none of the alleged Rs 100 crore in bribes had been recovered and emphasised that no court had declared him guilty.