New Delhi: In a big jolt to Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant any interim protection from coercive action to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said at this stage we are not inclined to grant an interim relief.  However, the court sought a response from ED on this fresh interim plea and listed the matter for April 22, 2024. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Kejriwal, while ED was represented by ASG SV Raju and special counsel Zoheb Hossain. 

For the unversed, the Delhi Chief Minister had filed an application seeking interim relief in his plea challenging ED summons. The probe agency, so far, has issued nine summons to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener, asking him to appear before it. However, he has repeatedly refused to appear before the agency, calling the summonses illegal.

‘Kejriwal Should Be Arrested’, Says BJP leader Manjinder Singh

Speaking to Republic, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said,"HC refusing to grant protection from coercive action means Arvind Kejriwal is involved in liquor scam and he manipulated the excise policy to favour his friends. He should be arrested."

Earlier on Wednesday, the court had reprimanded him asking, “Why he was not appearing before the ED?” Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the petitioner in the matter, had then said his client would appear before the ED but protection from coercive action was required because of the agency's "clear intent" to apprehend him with elections around the corner.

In the petition, Kejriwal has said the arbitrary procedure under PMLA was being employed to create a non-level playing field for the upcoming general elections to "skew the electoral process in the favour of the ruling party at the Centre".

Delhi Excise Policy Case

The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in connection with the case.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal to formulate the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them, in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP. A Delhi court granted bail to Kejriwal on Saturday on two complaints filed by the ED against him for skipping six of the previous eight summonses in the money-laundering case.