Arvind Kejriwal to remain in jail as Delhi HC rejects plea: Arrest and Remand process legal, rules court

NEW DELHI: Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal failed to get any relief today after the Delhi High Court rejected his pleas, challenging the time of his arrest and the procedure followed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

According to a Reuters report, in its order on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court said Kejriwal’s arrest was not in contravention of the law and “cannot be termed as illegal”.

The AAP said it would appeal to the Supreme Court and reiterated its position that the high-profile leader was arrested in a “fabricated” case in an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to “finish” him.

Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by financial crime-fighting agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with corruption allegations related to Delhi’s liquor policy, sparking protests in the capital and the northern state of Punjab, also governed by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The trial court last week extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody until April 15 and moved him to Delhi’s Tihar jail, where two other senior AAP leaders are also held in the same case.

A third AAP leader detained in the case was granted bail recently, after being imprisoned for six months. In its order on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court said Kejriwal’s arrest was not in contravention of the law and “cannot be termed as illegal”.