A Delhi Court has remanded Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in the money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy scam.

Kejriwal was produced before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at Rouse Avenue Court today on the expiration of his 4-day ED remand. The ED had sought judicial custody of Kejriwal.

During the hearing before the Trial Court, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju and Special Public Prosecutor Zoheb Hossain appeared for ED, and Senior Advocates Ramesh Gupta and Vikram Chaudhari appeared for Kejriwal.

The ASG submitted, "We are not asking for further remand. We are asking for judicial custody, subject to the right to ask for custody as per the Supreme Court's Judgment in Senthil Balaji."

Pertinently, on March 28, the CM had made submissions in Hindi after taking permission from the Court despite his Lawyers being present. Kejriwal said a smokescreen of the AAP being corrupt has been created before the nation, and he had added that he is ready to face the ED probe.

On March 27, the Delhi High Court had scheduled Kejriwal's plea against arrest for a final hearing on April 3. The Court did not grant any interim relief to the Chief Minister of Delhi. The High Court had directed the ED to file its reply in the interim Application as well as the main Writ Petition by April 2. It had also clarified that no adjournment shall be granted on the date of final hearing, i.e. April 3.

The AAP had first moved the Apex Court on Thursday (March 21) late in the evening after the ED arrested Kejriwal. The agency took him to its headquarters in Central Delhi. The Delhi CM's legal team attempted to get a late night hearing from the Supreme Court. However, no special Supreme Court Bench was set up on Thursday night to hear the CM's plea challenging his Arrest. The Arrest of the first sitting Chief Minister came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.

Cause Title: Directorate of Enforcement v. Arvind Kejriwal

Justice Kaveri BawejaRouse Avenue Court

Sukriti Mishra