A Delhi court has extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till July 3 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Kejriwal was produced before the court via video conference.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 over corruption allegations in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. The agency believes Kejriwal played a key role in drafting the policy and seeking bribes in return for liquor licenses.
He was granted an interim bail on May 10 for campaigning in for the Lok Sabha elections till June 2 after which he surrendered. His judicial custody was to expire on Wednesday.
The ED urged the court to extend Kejriwal's judicial custody, citing the need for further investigation into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy. However, Kejriwal's counsel opposed the application, arguing there were no grounds for extending his custody.
The ED said that out of ₹100 linked to the case, ₹45 crore have been traced. Opposing the extension of his custody, the CM represented through advocate Vivek Jain asserted that the application is “bereft of merits.”
Jain, representing Kejriwal, said after the court order, “We are objecting to the judicial remand. The arrest has already been challenged. It's sub judice before the Supreme Court.”
The Delhi excise policy was scrapped in 2022 amid allegations of corruption and irregularities. Kejriwal's arrest has sparked a political row, with his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the central government of political vendetta.
