New Dellhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday withdrew his plea from the Supreme Court of India against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal told the top court that the AAP supremo is withdrawing the petition as it is clashing with the remand.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an excise policy-linked money laundering case on 21 March. The federal agency began conducting searches at Kejriwal’s residence on Civil Lines. Till now, the AAP supremo had skipped nearly nine ED summons in the case.
The AAP convenor moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court refused to grant Kejriwal any protection from coercion in the money laundering case.
A bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait listed Kejriwal’s application seeking protection for further consideration on April 22 when his main petition challenging the summons was fixed for hearing and asked the Enforcement Directorate to file its response.
“We have heard both sides and we are not inclined at this stage (to grant protection). The respondent is at liberty to file a reply,” the bench comprising Justice Manoj Jain said.
Kejriwal had moved the court after the latest summons, the ninth issued by the ED, asking him to appear before it on Thursday. During the hearing, Senior Advocate AM Singhvi, representing the AAP chief, MNalso sought deferment of the summons issued for today.
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.
