Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi High Court, challenges CBI arrest

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday moved a plea in the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the excise policy case. Kejriwal’s move comes after a Delhi court on June 26 upheld the validity of his arrest and ordered him to be remanded to CBI custody for three days. A court here on Saturday sent the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor to judicial custody till July 12 in a corruption case related to the alleged scam, saying that as his name has surfaced as one of the “main conspirators” and the investigation is still in progress, his further custodial interrogation may be required. Kejriwal was produced in court by the CBI after the completion of his three-day custodial interrogation, following which the central agency sought 14 days of judicial custody, claiming that the AAP chief had not cooperated in the investigation and deliberately given evasive answers. The agency in its remand plea also expressed apprehension that he may influence witnesses and evidence already revealed before him during custodial interrogation and also influence potential witnesses who are yet to be questioned. Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar jail where he was in judicial custody in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. Special Judge Sunena Sharma said, “Keeping in view the fact that the alleged conspiracy against the accused (Kejriwal) involves a large number of persons who were involved in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy and also those who acted as facilitators in the use of illegal money, I find that sufficient grounds exist to send the accused to judicial custody.”