Delhi excise policy case: No interim relief for Arvind Kejriwal, Supreme Court issues notice to ED

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on the plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the ED in the Excise policy case.

A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on the allegations made against Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.

The Bench directed the ED to reply to Kejriwal’s plea by April 24. The matter will be heard by the Top Court a week after the filing of the reply by ED.

Kejriwal’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi has challenged the ED’s conduct and the manner the arrest of the Delhi CM was carried out.

Singhvi alleged that Kejriwal was arrested during the election time so that he could not take part in the elections and to tarnish his image.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the Delhi High Court had refused to grant protection from taking coercive action by the ED in the money laundering case.

The Delhi High Court had recently dismissed Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and had ruled that the arrest by ED was 'valid' and 'justified'. The High Court had also said that 'Kejriwal cannot dictate the timing and terms of his arrest as Law is equal for a common man as well as the sitting Chief Minister'.