Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to six days in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody after he appeared in trial court on Friday and is set to continue to run the government from jail.
He has been remanded to ED custody until March 28 by Rouse Avenue Court.
The ED on Friday said that Arvind Kejriwal was the “kingpin” behind the alleged Delhi liquor scam and had requested a 10-day remand from Special Judge Kaveri Baweja's court.
Earlier, after the arrest, Kejriwal had appealed for an urgent hearing in Supreme Court but later, withdrew it citing the clash in the timings of the hearing with the trial court.
His lawyer said, they will file another petition in Supreme court. The arrest makes Kejriwal the first sitting chief minister to be detained and is the most high-profile arrest in the liquor scam so far.
Following the arrest by Enforcement Directorate late on Thursday, AAP leaders staged protests in the national capital. The Opposition has also condemned ED's action.
The AAP has declared that its leader will continue to run his government from jail which would be a constitutional crisis.
The arrest is linked to a money laundering investigation concerning the excise policy case of the Delhi government.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on Thursday by ED following searches at his official residence and an interrogation lasting nearly two hours, reported Hindustan Times.
The case involves suspected corruption and money laundering related to the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later revoked.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) allegedly received kickbacks totalling ₹100 crores in connection with the excise policy, the Hindustan Times reported.
Meanwhile, AAP along with INDIA bloc has laid out a plan for four-day protests against Kejriwal’s arrest where they will boycott Holi celebrations, reported Indian Express.
The four-day protest plan will begin on Saturday, said Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Gopal Rai on Friday.
On Saturday, AAP and INDIA bloc leaders will hold a mega protest outside Shaheedi Park in Delhi’s ITO where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann along with his party leaders will be in attendance to observe Shaheed Diwas.
March 23 is annually observed as Shaheed Diwas, as Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were hanged on this day in 1931 in the Lahore conspiracy case.
On day-2 of the protest, the AAP will burn the PM’s effigies nationwide, said Rai.
The Kejriwal-led ruling party in the national capital will boycott Holi celebrations on Monday and the party members will go door to door, meet the residents and tell them how the BJP got their “beloved” CM arrested in a false case, calling it “murder of democracy”.
A major all-India protest is scheduled for Tuesday, Rai said, adding: “The PM’s residence will be gheraoed… we will sit outside his house.”
“Yesterday, PM Narendra Modi, to satisfy his ego, got CM Kejriwal arrested at night. Everyone knows that the people of Delhi elected Kejriwal with a majority of votes, and showered their love and full support… But, the BJP has got scared, and the PM — to get his power back — is getting all the Opposition leaders arrested one by one… trying to topple all the opposition parties through fake cases, illegal raids,” Rai was quoted by the Indian Express.
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