Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has to stay in Tihar Jail for now. The country’s Supreme Court on Monday (April 15) refused to agree to an urgent hearing on his plea and fixed the date after two weeks. As a result, he has to remain in jail during the polling of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Indian media NDTV reported this news.
According to reports, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the agency that arrested Kejriwal, has not responded to Kejriwal’s plea. The Supreme Court asked the investigating agency to respond to the Delhi Chief Minister’s plea by April 27.
Kejriwal had earlier filed a case against the ED’s arrest in the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court upheld the ED’s decision. The court said that the central agency had arrested Kejriwal on the basis of sufficient information in accordance with the law.
Even the Supreme Court did not find relief for the Delhi Chief Minister, his release from jail was almost assured before the vote. However, he can apply for bail in the lower court. CBI can arrest him before getting bail.
It should be noted that Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in Delhi’s Excise corruption case. When he was then produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, the court ordered him to be sent to ED custody till March 28. At that time, Kejriwal approached the High Court challenging the order of the ED to arrest him and send him to custody from the lower court. After that he was sent to Tihar Jail on the orders of the court.
Kejriwal sees his arrest as a political conspiracy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But the ruling BJP denied such allegations.
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