Life, Liberty Highly Valued by Supreme Court in Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Case

Mr. Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case. The Supreme Court questioned the timing of the arrest and asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to clarify whether it can initiate criminal proceedings without judicial proceedings.

The bench, consisting of Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Dipankar Datta, emphasized the significance of life and liberty and demanded a response from the Additional Solicitor General SV Raju. The court expressed concern over the absence of attachment actions and material evidence linking Mr. Kejriwal to the case.

The Supreme Court also observed a significant gap between the commencement of proceedings and the arrest and instructed the ED to provide an explanation. Mr. Kejriwal, who remains in custody at Delhi’s Tihar Jail and continues to serve as Chief Minister, has challenged his arrest, prompting a response from the ED, as ordered by the court.

His wife, Sunita, has also sought support from his followers. The Delhi High Court had earlier upheld Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, citing his defiance of summons and refusal to cooperate with the investigation as reasons for the ED’s actions.

The Supreme Court had issued a notice to the ED on April 15 and requested a response to Mr. Kejriwal’s challenge. Moreover, the court directed the ED to submit their response by the following Friday.