Delhi High Court Issues Notice To CBI On Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Plea Challenging His Arrest In Liquor Policy Case

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on the plea moved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest as well as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand of three days in the corruption case related to the alleged liquor policy scam.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna sought response of the probe agency and listed the matter for hearing on July 17.

Kejriwal has also sought his immediate release in the corruption case. 

It is his case that despite the offence being punishable of 7 years, the requirement of Section 41A and 60A CrPC notice was not adhered to by the Investigating officer and thus, his arrest is without the compliance of the requirement as mandated under law.

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and N Hariharan, along with Advocate Vivek Jain appeared for Kejriwal. Special counsel DP Singh appeared for CBI.

Singhvi submitted that there cannot be any urgency or necessity of arrest in the case as Kejriwal was arrested in an FIR registered by CBI in August 2022, where he was called for questioning only once in April last year to which he cooperated.

He further took the court through the arrest memo prepared by CBI and said that it did not satisfy the conditions as mentioned in law.

Kejriwal is in judicial custody in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged scam.

The Chief Minister was remanded to CBI custody for three days on June 26 by vacation judge Amitabh Rawat, observing that the arrest, at this stage, cannot be said to be illegal.

However, the judge had said that while the arrest is not illegal, CBI should not be over zealous.

Later, on June 29, vacation judge Sunena Sharma remanded Kejriwal to judicial custody as CBI did not ask for his further remand at this stage.

Last week, the probe agency examined the Chief Minister in Tihar jail where he is lodged in judicial custody in relation to the money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Kejriwal's statement was recorded. This was hours after the Delhi High Court stayed the bail granted to the Chief Minister in the PMLA case.

After court's permission, CBI examined Kejriwal in court on June 26 and then formally arrested him in the matter.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21. In May, he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 01 in view of general elections. He surrendered on June 2.

Title: Arvind Kejriwal v. CBI