“Arvind Kejriwal Set to Appear in Court as Enforcement Directorate Custody Expires Today”

In Short

• Arvind Kejriwal’s ED custody ends today, to appear in court
• Kejriwal arrested by ED on March 21 in money laundering case
• Kejriwal files petition challenging his arrest, no interim relief granted

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to make an appearance before the Rouse Avenue Court in the national capital at 11:30 am today.

Kejriwal, who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection to a money laundering case linked to the now-revoked Delhi excise policy, will be presented before the court as his probe agency custody comes to an end.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader will be brought before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court at the specified time. Heightened security measures have been implemented at the ED headquarters in Delhi, with police barricades erected at the premises.

Although the probe agency had sought a seven-day extension of Kejriwal’s custody, citing the necessity for further interrogation in the money laundering case, the magisterial court granted only a four-day extension until April 1.

Kejriwal, in a rare move, personally argued his case, alleging that the ED’s intention was to stifle AAP and accused them of ulterior motives.

While the ED claimed Kejriwal was uncooperative during the investigation, the Chief Minister filed a petition in the Delhi High Court contesting his arrest. However, the court declined interim relief, stating that orders could not be issued without hearing the ED’s arguments. The court set April 3 as the date for the hearing after directing the probe agency to file a response by April 2.

The latest development follows the Opposition INDIA bloc’s massive rally in Delhi on Sunday, protesting Kejriwal’s arrest. The ‘Loktantra Bachao’ rally at Ramlila Maidan saw prominent leaders including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, and Sharad Pawar among others.

Sunita Kejriwal and Kalpana Soren addressed the gathering, with Sunita reading out a message from her husband outlining six guarantees on behalf of the INDIA Alliance.