Arvin Kejriwal Live News Today: After nine summonses, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after two hours of questioning on Thursday. The Delhi CM was arrested in connection with the excise policy case. A team of eight ED officials went in for questioning Kejriwal. His statement was recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA.
Senior AAP leaders and ministers in Delhi government – Saurabh Bhardwaj and Aatishi – were seen outside the CM’s residence. Several party workers also staged protest against the ED’s action. Reports suggest that DCP North and an SP were also present along with the team of ED. The ED action came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant any protection to the Delhi CM against arrest in the liquor excise case. Kejriwal was present at his residence when ED team reached Civil Lines area to question him. A PTI report had earlier said that the ED team was visiting Kejriwal’s residence to serve him the summons in the liquor policy case. There were reports that the officer who had arrested BRS leader K Kavitha in Hyderabad last week was also present at Kejriwal’s residence.
Here are the major highlights of the Delhi Excise Case
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to immediately entertain Aam Aadmi Party’s plea seeking to quash Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate last evening. The top court said it will hear the plea on Friday. (Read More)
A large gathering of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters initiated an indefinite sit-in protest in Odisha's capital, urging the prompt release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Led by AAP's Odisha unit convenor Nishikant Mohapatra, the supporters staged their protest at Master Canteen Square in the city.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters staged a protest outside the Enforcement Directorate's south Mumbai office in response to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. While some AAP members participating in the demonstration were detained by Mumbai police, others affiliated with Kejriwal's party continued to assemble at the location.
The federal agency had summoned Kejriwal for questioning nine times in recent months. However, Kejriwal consistently avoided the summons, citing his busy schedule with political commitments. On Thursday, Kejriwal's lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued in court that the probe agency was being exploited by the Modi government to undermine his party's strength ahead of India's national elections scheduled for April-May.
Along with many opposition leaders, Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted on X, "A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy. While capturing all the institutions including the media, breaking up the parties, extorting money from companies, freezing the account of the main opposition party was not enough for the 'devilish power', now the arrest of the elected Chief Ministers has also become a common thing. INDIA will give a befitting reply to this."
There hasn't been any arrangement for a special bench of the Supreme Court tonight to promptly hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest in the excise policy case. His plea is expected to be listed for hearing tomorrow.
Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party, asserts, "Those entrenched in the grip of their own fear of failure, what purpose do they serve by attempting to confine others? The BJP is aware it won't reclaim power, and out of this apprehension, it seeks to eliminate opposition figures from public view during elections by any means necessary. The arrests are merely a pretext. Instead, they will ignite a fresh wave of popular uprising."
https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/1770855417205207068
The alleged involvement of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy scam case has raised concerns about leadership within the AAP and the Delhi government. Speculation surrounds the potential replacements, including his wife Sunita Kejriwal and cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Paramilitary forces have been deployed as demonstrations persist at Delhi Chief Minister's residence following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), IE reported. Security measures were intensified around Arvind Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines since today evening. Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) units, along with personnel from the Delhi Police, were stationed there as Enforcement Directorate officials arrived in connection with a money laundering case linked to the excise policy, the report further stated.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged on Thursday that there was a "huge conspiracy" behind Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and accused the BJP of stooping to any level to make him bow down.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal from his residence here on Thursday evening, officials said, shortly after the high court refused to grant the AAP leader protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case.
Arrested Delhi CM Kejriwal will be produced before special PMLA court on Friday; ED will seek his custody for interrogation, PTI quoted officials as saying.
Several MLAs and AAP workers who gathered around Delhi CM's residence to show support have been detained by the Delhi police.
"Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in this manner due to elections is completely wrong and unconstitutional. Lowering the level of politics in this manner suits neither the Prime Minister nor his government."
"Fight your critics in the electoral battle, confront them boldly, and of course attack their policies and working style - this is democracy. But in this way, using the power of all the institutions of the country to fulfill one's political objective and weakening them by exerting pressure is against every principle of democracy."
https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1770837505962627234
AAP leader Atishi said, "We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal... We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case. This action followed the arrival of an ED team at Kejriwal's residence in North Delhi's Civil Lines, prompted by the Delhi High Court's denial of protection from coercive measures in the excise policy case earlier today. Kejriwal had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for the ninth time on Thursday regarding the excise policy case.
Following the ongoing questioning of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by a 12-member team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Section 144 has been enforced in the vicinity of his residence in Civil Lines.
This measure was implemented due to the gathering of AAP leaders and large groups of AAP supporters near his residence. The ED team initiated the questioning after the Delhi High Court declined to provide CM Arvind Kejriwal with protection from coercive action in the excise policy case earlier today.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, "Arvind Kejriwal has committed a scam in the liquor policy, looted the people of Delhi, done the work of looting Delhi. So if you have cheated the public, committed theft, or committed corruption, then its consequences are also yours. You have committed theft and corruption in changing the liquor policy under the pretext that you will have to answer."
The charges against Kejriwal stem from the annulled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. According to the ED, the excise policy was orchestrated as part of a scheme to provide certain private companies with a 12 percent profit margin on wholesale business, despite the absence of such a provision in the minutes of meetings of the Group of Ministers (GoM).
Additionally, the agency has accused Vijay Nair and other individuals, alongside a group known as the 'South Group', of conspiring to grant wholesalers unusually high profit margins. The ED alleges that Nair acted on behalf of CM Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia in this purported conspiracy. (Read More)
AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha took to X to lash out against the ED action. he said that it was part of conspiracy to arrest Kejriwal just before the General Elections. he said that nothing will happen to Kejriwal as billions of well-wishers are with him.
https://twitter.com/raghav_chadha/status/1770819981485224235
Section 50 of the PMLA does not inherently authorize arrest for non-cooperation and thus does not constitute adequate grounds for arrest under Section 19, as Section 50 explicitly excludes the power of arrest.
Several workers of Aam Aadmi Party along with minister Atishi are protesting against ED's action.
Saurabh Bhardwaj, senior AAP leader and minister in Delhi govt, took to X (formerly Twitter) to give updates on the latest situation outside Kejriwal's residence. He said that no one has access to phones inside Kejriwal's residence. More police force have arrived at the spot, Bhardwaj said on X.
https://twitter.com/Saurabh_MLAgk/status/1770820632789307794
The team of Enforcement Directorate has begun questioning Kejriwal. The statement of the Chief Minister is being recorded under PMLA Section 50.
The legal team of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has submitted a petition challenging the High Court's decision to reject interim relief for him in an Excise policy case. Kejriwal's legal team is making an attempt to seek an urgent listing.
On April 22, Kejriwal's main plea that challenges the ED summons will be heard. The HC had also asked the probe agency to file the answer.
A Delhi High Court bench of Justices Manoj Jain and Suresh Kumar Kait had rejected to give any protection to the Delhi CM from arrest in the liquor policy case. The HC bench had listed the Delhi Chief Minister's plea for further consideration on April 22 next month.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is reportedly present at his residence at the moment. There's heavy police deployment in and around Civil Lines area.