SC issues notice to ED on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against arrest, refuses interim bail

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's petition seeking his release from custody in relation to the alleged Delhi excise scam case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta sought the response of the central agency.
The apex court will have next hearing on April 29 and has refused to consider the plea for an interim release without waiting for ED's reply.

"We know the facts and we have gone through the paper books. You should not have argued after we issued notice," the Court remarked before posting the case for April 29.

Kejriwal filed the plea before the apex court after the Delhi High Court recently dismissed his plea in connection with the matter, and stated that there was enough evidence to show that the Delhi CM was involved in the scam.

Kejriwal is also set to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court at 2 pm for his judicial custody which ends today. 
He is currently lodged at Tihar Jail in the Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. The ED’s money laundering probe began after a case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 17, 2022 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22. 

The CBI case was registered after a complaint made by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on July 20, 2022, reported Bar and Bench.

It is alleged that a criminal conspiracy was hatched by AAP leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others.