Arvind Kejriwal’s Petition for Release Rejected, to Remain in Jail

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest was ruled valid by the court, and his plea was dismissed. The court upheld the earlier remand orders that sent him to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and then to Delhi’s Tihar Jail until April 15.

This makes Mr. Kejriwal the first sitting Chief Minister to be taken into custody. The court also noted the ED’s submission of statements by approvers and an AAP Goa candidate, who claimed to have been paid with alleged kickbacks.

The court emphasized that doubting the grant of pardon to accused amounts to casting aspersions on the judicial process and sternly stated that the law in question is over 100 years old, not a recent enactment. It was noted that one of the approvers initially did not implicate Mr. Singh.

The Delhi High Court stated that Mr. Kejriwal would have an opportunity to inspect and question all such documents at the appropriate stage. The court also addressed the issue of timing, expressing concerns about the urgency of the arrest and its potential political implications.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma emphasized that the matter before the court is not a conflict between the central government and Arvind Kejriwal, but a case between Kejriwal and the ED. The probe agency argued that Mr. Kejriwal should not be released due to his alleged uncooperative and evasive behavior during questioning, as well as the possibility of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses if freed.

The text implicates that a portion of the funds in question was allegedly used as poll expenses for the AAP, leading to repeated denials of the allegations by Mr. Kejriwal and the party, who claim a political conspiracy against the Chief Minister.