The Delhi High Court will hear on Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)in connection with allegations of money laundering in the now scapped Delhi Liquor Policy.
A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will hear his plea tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM.
Kejriwal, who was sent into six day remand by a trial court last week, had moved the Delhi High Court on March 24 seeking an urgent hearing into the matter by the high court. However, the matter was posted for hearing after the Holi Break.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief was arrested by ED on Thursday and was remanded to a six-day custody on Friday by Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court.
Kejriwal, in his plea to the High Court, called both the arrest and the remand order illegal, and sought immediate release from custody.
Earlier, on Friday, the Delhi CM withdrew his petition from the Supreme Court against his arrest by the as he decided to contest the ED custody first in the trial court.
The ED has arrested Kejriwal under Section 19 of PMLA. The ED has submitted in the court that Kejriwal has been intrinsically involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi Liquor Policy scam wherein certain private persons were favoured and benefitted in a quid pro quo of receiving kickbacks.
The remand note by ED says "due to actions of Sh Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion."
The ED claims that Kejriwal as the ultimate incharge of the AAP was intrinsically involved in the acts of policy formulation, kickback scheme and the final use of the proceeds of crime thus generated including conspiracy thereof.
The ED has alleged that Kejriwal is also liable for use of Proceeds of Crime of Rs 45 crore in the election of the AAP in Goa under section 70(1) of PMLA apart from his role in his personal capacity.
"Kejriwal has conspired with other persons and actively involved in formation of policy for facilitating taking of kickbacks and has played a role in generation, use and concealment of the proceeds of crime," according to ED.
ED says that as per investigations done so far, the proceeds of crime of about 45 crore which were received as bribe from south group were used in Goa election by AAP.