Delhi High Court Rejects Arvind Kejriwal's Plea, Says Arrest Wasn't Illegal

The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The bench, presided over by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, concluded that Kejriwal's arrest was justified and could not be considered illegal. "It cannot be said that the arrest was without any justifiable reasons or illegal,” the bench stated.

 Bail Plea Disposed

The high court also disposed of Kejriwal's bail plea, granting him the liberty to seek bail from the trial court. This ruling comes after Kejriwal had approached the high court last month, arguing that his arrest violated the Supreme Court’s guidelines in the Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar case and section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI soon after securing bail in a related money laundering case handled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court subsequently stayed his bail order in the ED case.

CBI's Allegations And Evidence

During the hearings, the CBI described Kejriwal as the "sutradhar" or the facilitator of the alleged scam. The CBI’s lawyer, DP Singh, presented additional evidence implicating Kejriwal, asserting that as the head of the Cabinet, he signed and circulated the excise policy within a single day, securing signatures from his colleagues.
The CBI also highlighted the testimony of C. Aravind, an IAS officer under former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who claimed that Vijay Nair brought the excise policy to be entered into the computer while Kejriwal was present. This testimony, according to the CBI, points to Kejriwal's direct involvement in the matter.