Kejriwal Withdraws His Plea From SC Against Arrest By ED

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court his petition challenging arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at his residence in connection with the Delhi excise policy case linked to money laundering case.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, mentioned the matter before two-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, that he was withdrawing the plea as this case will clash with the remand hearing by ED in trial court.

"Because (ED) remand is clashing, decided to withdraw it... will fight the remand and come back to your Lordships," Singhvi said.

To this, Justice Khanna replied, "You need not be present, you may go there".

Singhvi said that he will give a letter to the apex court Registry regarding withdrawing the plea.

Earlier in the day, apex court agreed to hear today itself plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Kejriwal against his arrest by the ED.

A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela Trivedi was to hear the matter today.

Initially, Singhvi mentioned Kejriwal's plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for urgent hearing.

"If this process goes on, before the first vote is cast, a lot of senior leaders will be behind the bars. Please take it up,"Singhvi told the bench.

CJI then asked him to mention his plea before a special three- judge bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which was hearing plea of BRS leader K Kavitha against her arrest by the ED in the liquor policy case, at that time.

The petition was filed by Kejriwal challenging the arrest by the ED last night subsequent to his arrest.

On Thursday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant Kejriwal any protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

It had listed the AAP leader's application seeking protection for further consideration on April 22 when his main petition challenging the summons is fixed for hearing, and asked the Enforcement Directorate to file its response.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) placed before the court the documents pertaining to the probe and said there was material to show the necessity to call Kejriwal for questioning.

Kejriwal had moved the court in the wake of the latest summons, the ninth issued by the ED, asking him to appear before it on Thursday.

The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in judicial custody in the case.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the chargesheets filed by the ED. The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the party.

(ANI)