Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned financial probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the timing of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.
Seeking a response, the court asked why the arrest was made just before the Lok Sabha election, 2024.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to reply to the question of the timing and said, “Life and liberty are very exceedingly important, you can’t deny that. The last question is why he was arrested just before the general elections.”
The bench, which asked Raju several other questions, asked the probe agency to reply on the next date of hearing of Kejriwal’s plea, challenging his arrest in the money laundering case related to the excise policy scam. The matter is likely to be taken up for hearing on Friday — from Wednesday, both judges will be sitting in different combinations.
Earlier in the day, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail.
Speaking to the media after meeting Kejriwal, the Punjab CM stated that his health is doing fine and shared that he is receiving insulin.
“He asked me about wheat produce in Punjab and the status of electricity-power supply in the state. He was very happy to hear that 158 students from Punjab government schools have cleared the JEE Mains exam,” Mann stated.
On Monday’s hearing, the top court asked the Delhi CM why he had not filed a bail application before the trial court.
“You did not move any application for bail before the trial court?” the bench asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared in the court on behalf of Kejriwal. “No”, Singhvi replied.
“Why did you not file any application for bail?” the bench asked. The lawyer cited several reasons, including that Kejriwal’s arrest was “illegal”.
The bench, led by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, heard extensive arguments from Singhvi challenging his “illegal arrest”.
Kejriwal, who has been in judicial custody since April 1 and will remain there till May 7, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. The chief minister is currently lodged in Tihar jail.
Latest updates on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest:
- Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned ED about the timing of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. “Liberty is very exceedingly important, you can’t deny that. The last question is with regard to the timing of the arrest, which they have pointed out, the timing of the arrest, soon before the general elections,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked.
- Mann further added: “About my recent visit to Gujarat, I told him that there was a mind-blowing response for AAP. Arvind Kejriwal gave the message that people should vote to save the Constitution. All our leaders will campaign for the party.”
- Speaking to the media after meeting Kejriwal in jail, the Punjab CM shared an update on his health and said that he is receiving insulin. “He asked me about wheat produce in Punjab and the status of electricity-power supply in the state. He was very happy to hear that 158 students from Punjab govt schools have cleared JEE Mains exam,” he added.
- Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met Kejriwal in Tihar Jail. This marks the second meeting between Kejriwal and Mann in Tihar.
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is set to meet his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail at 12:30 pm today, sources said.
- The Delhi High Court on Monday said that Arvind Kejriwal continuing as Delhi Chief Minister even after his arrest was his ‘personal call’, but his unavailability could not hinder the non-supply of books to the children studying in MCD schools.
- The high court noted that the role of a chief minister, especially in a city like Delhi, is far from ceremonial, emphasising, the CM must be virtually available around the clock to handle any crisis in the state. “National interest and public interest demands that no person who holds this post is incommunicado or absent for a long stretch of time or for an uncertain period of time,” it added.
(With inputs from PTI)
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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