Breaking: Arvind Kejriwal Withdraws His Plea Before Supreme Court Challenging Arrest By Enforcement Directorate
|Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, has withdrawn his plea challenging Arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scam. Kejriwal was arrested late in the evening on March 21.
In the morning today, Singhvi had mentioned urgent hearing of Kejriwal's plea challenging his Arrest. The Bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had asked Singhvi to approach the Bench led by Justice Sanjeev Khanna.
The Special Bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna, Justice MM Sundresh, and Justice Bela M. Trivedi was scheduled to hear the matter during the course of the day. However, now, the plea has been withdrawn.
While withdrawing the plea, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi told the Supreme Court that they want to contest ED's prayer for remand when before the Trial Court.
The AAP had moved the Apex Court on Thursday (March 21) late in the evening after the ED arrested Kejriwal. The agency took him to its headquarters in central Delhi. The Delhi CM's legal team attempted to get a late night hearing from the Supreme Court. However, no special Supreme Court Bench was set up on Thursday night to hear the CM's plea challenging his Arrest.
The Arrest of the first sitting Chief Minister came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
In a day of fast-paced developments, a 10-member ED team led by an additional director reached his official residence on Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines in the national capital soon after the High Court's order and carried out searches. He was arrested more than two hours after the ED team arrived at his residence, according to reports.
Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency has alleged that the other accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP.
Cause Title: Arvind Kejriwal v. Directorate of Enforcement [W.P. (Crl.) No. 13598/2024]