ED arrests Kejriwal in Delhi liquor policy case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the liquor policy case on Thursday night after he was quizzed for about two hours by the probe agency.

Confirming the arrest of the Delhi CM, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, taking to social media platform X, wrote: “CM is arrested.”Hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant interim protection from coercive action to Kejriwal in connection with the ED’s money laundering case linked to the liquor policy, the federal probe agency on Thursday evening reached his official residence and quizzed the AAP supremo.AAP Minister Atishi said that the party has moved to the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest and has requested an urgent hearing tonight.

“We have moved the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest of Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal, by ED. We have asked for an urgent hearing by the Supreme Court tonight itself,” Atishi posted on X.

Earlier she told reporters about receiving the news that the probe agency has arrested Arvind Kejriwal, and added that the party said in the past that Arvind Kejriwal will run the government from jail.

Heavy security arrangements were put in place outside the CM residence, while Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who reached there, was denied entry to the CM House where the ED teams were present, and questioned the CM in the excise policy case.

Bharadwaj, while speaking to reporters outside the CM House, said that the “ED is inside. It seems there is a raid taking place, and the CM may be arrested.”

Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh along with other AAP leaders reached the CM’s residence but claimed that they were stopped from entering the house.

Atishi, who also reached outside Kejriwal’s house, talking to media, had said the federal agency had come with the intention to arrest the CM.

Delhi Mayor and AAP leader Shelly Oberoi also reached the spot and said that people’s blessings are with the AAP chief.

There were barricades put outside the CM residence and security was stepped up with the deployment of RAF personnel, while near the residence AAP workers started to gather and began to stage a protest.

On the other hand, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar alleged that whatever is happening shows the desperation of the Centre, as they want to keep Arvind Kejriwal away from the elections, since they know they cannot defeat the AAP chief in the upcoming General Elections.

They have not been able to find the proceeds of crime, which is very crucial in the PMLA probe, Kakkar claimed.

The AAP chief had received summons nine times. Since he started getting the summons last year in October, the AAP has been saying that the party will not be scared, and if their leader is arrested, they will run the government from jail.

The ED had moved to a Delhi Court after Kejriwal skipped its multiple summons in February, and the agency had filed a complaint over him not complying with the summons.

Recently, the probe agency had also issued summons to Kejriwal in a case related to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board’s tendering.