SC commences hearing on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest by ED in excise policy case

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced hearing on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the ED in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was given a note by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, in which he contradicted the submission of Kejriwal that the statements of approvers were suppressed by the probe agency. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

The top court had issued a notice to the ED on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest.

On April 9, the Delhi High Court had upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.

The case relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.