In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), responding to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s legal challenge against his recent arrest. The court has directed the CBI to submit its response within seven days concerning the allegations of corruption tied to the excise policy case.
The directive emerged from a session presided over by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who also scheduled the next hearing for July 17. During this interim period, Kejriwal’s legal team is permitted to submit any rejoinders within two days following the CBI’s response.
The controversy traces back to June 26, when Kejriwal was detained by the CBI as part of an investigation into a corruption scandal linked to an alleged excise policy scam. This move followed a trial court’s order that remanded him in CBI custody for three days, later transferring him to judicial custody until July 12.
Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has vehemently contested the trial court’s June 26 decision through his appeal in the high court. His arrest occurred under dramatic circumstances, directly from Tihar jail, where he was held until July 3 in a separate money-laundering case spearheaded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
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In its submission to the trial court, the CBI argued that Kejriwal was uncooperative during the interrogation, providing evasive answers and raising concerns about the potential influence over witnesses. The trial court, addressing the defense’s request to deem the arrest illegal, noted that while the timing of the arrest raised questions, it did not meet the threshold to be considered unlawful under the existing criteria.
