Kejriwal Lost Right To Challenge Arrest After 'No-Objection' Statement: ED Tells Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court had directed ED to file its response by April 2 to Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, and listed the case for final disposal on April 3 (today).

The ED in its submission to the Kejriwal's plea said that this ground alone is sufficient to get this plea dismissed.  ( Image Source :PTI )

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its written submission to the Delhi High Court said that since the Delhi CM told the trial court judge that he has no objection if the custody remand is extended further, he has waived his right to question his custody. The Delhi High Court had directed ED to file its response by April 2 to Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, and listed the case for final disposal on April 3 (today). The hearing will begin at 12:30 PM.

The ED in its submission to the Kejriwal's plea said that this ground alone is sufficient to get this plea dismissed. 

"...the petitioner has waived his right to question his custody as on today and the petitioner cannot now be allowed to argue that his custody as on today is illegal... Present petition is liable to be dismissed on this ground alone," the submission read.

 Other than this, the ED has also called Kejriwal as the kingpin and the key conspirator of the excise scam. ED claims that there were reasons to believe that the Delhi CM was guilty of the offence of money laundering.

Last week, Kejriwal appeared in the court in-person and made a long speech in front of the special judge of the trial court. Along with other statements he also said that the ED can keep him behind bars as long as it wants. The judge had recorded his statements in the order. Now ED is using his statements against him.

On April 1, the trial court sent Kejriwal to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till April 15, after the ED said that he is not cooperating with investigations.

Opposing Kejriwal's petitions against his arrest by the agency in the money laundering case linked to the scam, the ED) said the political party, which central probe agency said that AAP was the major beneficiary of the proceeds of the crime from the now scrapped Delhi liquor policy. And AAP benefitted though Arvind Kejriwal as he is the leader of the party, ED claims.

 

"...Kejriwal was directly involved in the formulation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. This policy was being drafted considering the favours to be granted to the South Group and was formed in collusion with Sh Vijay Nair, Sh Manish Sisodia and members representatives of the South Group," said ED's response.

 

ED has called Arvind Kejriwal not only the brain behind the AAP but also someone who controls the party's major activities. ED says that Kejriwal was involved in the decision making of the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy as evident from the statements of the witnesses.