Arvind Kejriwal’s Jail Stay Continues as Petition Against Arrest Is Rejected

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea for release after arrest has been dismissed by the court. The court upheld previous remand orders, sending him to the ED’s custody 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 submission of statements by approvers and an AAP Goa candidate claiming to have been paid with alleged kickbacks.

The arrest was ruled valid, and the court dismissed Mr. Kejriwal’s plea. The court criticized doubts about the grant of pardon to accused individuals as casting aspersions on the judicial process.

It emphasized that the law in question is over 100 years old and not falsely enacted to implicate the petitioner. The court suggested that Mr. Kejriwal would have an opportunity to inspect and question all relevant documents at the appropriate stage, but emphasized that this is not the stage for that.

The court also raised concerns about timing issues, noting the approaching election and Mr. Kejriwal’s limited time to join the investigation. The court rebutted arguments about political considerations, stating that the case is between Mr. Kejriwal and the ED, not a conflict between the central government and Mr. Kejriwal.

It also noted the ED’s arguments against releasing Mr. Kejriwal because of his alleged uncooperative and evasive behavior, as well as concerns about influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. The court mentioned that six percent of the alleged bribes was to be recovered by the AAP and used as poll expenses, and both Mr. Kejriwal and the AAP have consistently denied the allegations, claiming a political conspiracy against the Chief Minister.