Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday moved Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order rejecting his plea challenging his arrest in Delhi's excise policy irregularities case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected a petition moved by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by ED on allegations of money laundering in connection to the now scrapped Delhi Liquor Policy. The court said ED was able to show enough documents including the statements of Hawala dealers which shows that money was sent in Goa elections.
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The court rejected Kejriwal's challenge to arrest under PMLA and said "the files and material placed before us reveals that the mandate of law was followed by the ED. The trial court order is not a two-line order. The statements with ED are of hawala dealers as well as AAP Candidates in Goa elections."
The high court found that ED was in possession of enough material which had led them to arrest the Delhi CM. The court said that by skipping summons Kejriwal caused delay in investigation and also impacted those in judicial custody in the case. The court also said that the material collected by ED reveals that Arvind Kejriwal conspired and was actively involved in use and concealment of proceeds of crime.
"This court holds that ED was able to place enough material, statements of approvers and their own candidate stating that he was given money for Goa Elections. It completes the chain regarding the money sent for Goa elections."
The bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma rejected the petition and said that Kejriwal has been arrested as an accused and his arrest and remand has to be examined as per law and not as per timing of elections.
The court also upheld trial court's remand orders and said that ED can invoke Section 70 to implicate Arvind Kejriwal for his role in the alleged money laundering scam.