Arvind Kejriwal's arrest: Does Delhi CM need to resign if denied relief by court? SC lawyer responds

People familiar with the development said a team of Enforcement Directorate officials reached his official residence on Thursday to carry out searches and question him after the Delhi high court refused to grant Arvind Kejriwal any relief from questioning in the Delhi excise policy probe.

In an excise policy-related money laundering case, the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action, according to the PTI news agency.

According to the people cited above, the ED team was searching Kejriwal's residence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Kejriwal had previously skipped multiple summonses from the ED in the case. The ED officials provided details of their visit to Kejriwal's residence to serve him a summons in the case.

Kejriwal's staff at the chief minister's residence was also informed that a search warrant had been obtained.

According to sources, the ED is conducting searches at Kejriwal's offices in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

Atishi questioned the Enforcement Directorate's hurry to appear at the chief minister's house while the high court was still considering his petition. The Aam Aadmi Party hit back at the government over the ED action.

Earlier on Thursday, a bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain of the Delhi High Court refused to protect Kejriwal from coercion.

Kejriwal was also asked why he had not sought anticipatory bail if he were to be arrested at the lower court.

An ED report claims that AAP leaders received kickbacks worth 100 crore in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The bench has scheduled the AAP leader's application for further consideration on 22 April, when his main petition challenging the summons will be heard.

On November 2, December 22, January 3, January 18, February 2, February 19, February 27, and on March 4 and 21 - Kejriwal skipped nine summonses issued by the ED - calling them "illegal and politically motivated".

It was "important" to question Kejriwal about a conspiracy in the excise policy, in which a lobby of businessmen and politicians referred to as the South Group paid AAP leaders 100 crore to obtain liquor licences.

According to Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, “It appears that they are fully prepared to arrest the CM. The people of Delhi are watching, we will not remain silent,” Bharadwaj said.

A court subsequently remanded K Kavitha in ED custody until March 23, after the federal agency arrested BRS leader K Kavitha last Friday.

Kejriwal was arrested after two hours of questioning at his residence by ED officials regarding excise policies. Kejriwal became the second sitting chief minister to face arrest in recent years after Jharkhand's Hemant Soren. The AAP leadership announced on Thursday that he would maintain his position as chief minister, asserting that the national capital would continue to be governed even while he is in jail.

Mahua Maji, a Rajya Sabha MP and leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, commented on the situation, linking Kejriwal's arrest to a broader trend in states not governed by the BJP. “Wherever there is non-BJP govt, these things are happening in those states only. Elections are going to be held, model code of conduct is in place but the way things are going on, firstly in Jharkhand and then in Delhi, this isn't democracy but a preparation for autocracy.” Kejriwal’s arrest follows the arrest of former Jharkhand chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren.

After the ED team reached Kejriwal's residence, Delhi Minister Atishi said “This is very clearly a conspiracy. In two years, ED and CBI have not been able to find even Rs 1 of proceeds of crime. The Delhi high court had today given notice to ED. So, what was the need to deploy thousands of police personnel and paramilitary forces here? PM Modi wants Kejriwal arrested before the Lok Sabha polls."

The Enforcement Directorate is currently searching for the residence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, according to news agency ANI.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case and forced to resign immediately. According to Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, "Today every citizen of Delhi is satisfied that the chief minister, implicated in allegations of corruption, has finally been arrested,"

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva told reporters. In his view, the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal is a victory for corruption. He demands that Kejriwal resign immediately. In the hours following the Delhi High Court's refusal to protect Kejriwal from coercive action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kejriwal was arrested by the ED, the first arrest of a sitting chief minister.

On Friday, the 55-year-old AAP national convenor will appear before a court here, and the ED will seek his custody for interrogation.

The liquor scam began in Delhi in 2021-22, and one revelation after another revealed corruption and money laundering.

In an X post, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said, "Strongly condemn the vindictive misuse of central agencies to target the opposition, especially as general elections loom. This arrest showcases the depth to which BJP will stoop for power. ‘INDIA’ stands united against this unconstitutional action against Arvind Kejriwal."

"The arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is outright vicious and part of a callous plot to silence all opposition voices just ahead of the general elections. This exposes the cowardice of those who fear democratic process and calls for collective action to resist abuse of power." said Pinarayi Vijayan in his X post.

As per Dhananjay Mahapatra, "No special bench of Supreme Court being set up tonight to urgently hear Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by Enforcement Directorate in excise policy case. His plea likely to be listed for hearing tomorrow."

There will be a medical checkup tomorrow for Arvind Kejriwal at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) headquarters.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, recently arrested in the Excise Policy Case, was examined by a medical team at Enforcement Directorate headquarters.

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai says, "This (arrest) is a murder of democracy and an example of dictatorship in this country. If Arvind Kejriwal can be arrested then every child in this country can be arrested and his voice can be suppressed. The fight has started today, Arvind Kejriwal is not a person, he is an ideology. Ever since the India alliance was formed within the country, BJP felt that they were going to shrink and hence they decided to arrest every opposition leader one by one, but today the limit has been crossed..."

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak says "Tomorrow we will hold a nationwide protest against the BJP party over the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by the ED."

The arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case poses two big questions to the Aam Aadmi Party and its leadership: how and who will run the Delhi government and who will lead the party's election campaign in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat where it has fielded candidates. While parties announce candidates and plan election campaigns, Kejriwal's arrest comes at a time when parties are busy doing so.

According to ANI, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's family and assured them of the Congress party's support. He plans on meeting Kejriwal or his family tomorrow and providing legal assistance.

As per party sources, Rahul Gandhi has reached out to Arvind Kejriwal's family to assure them of his and the grand old party's support following the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. Kejriwal or his family may receive more legal assistance from Rahul Gandhi on Friday, the source said.

After Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate by 7 p.m. on Thursday, hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party workers gathered at Flagstaff Road, the lane where the Delhi CM's residence is located.

There was increased enthusiasm among protesters as the CM was questioned by ED in the excise policy case. Later, as Congress workers led by Delhi president Arvinder Singh Lovely arrived, the protesters increased.

A Delhi police bus was parked nearby and Rapid Action Force personnel in riot gear stood behind it as 100 police personnel blocked Flagstaff Road.

Nevertheless, AAP workers, including ministers, MLAs, and municipal councilors, raised throaty slogans such as "ED, CBI pe de jhadoo (Sweep out ED and CBI)", "LG is afraid, LG is afraid", and "Jab jab Modi darta hai, ED ko aage karta hai (when Modi fears someone, he employs ED)."

Delhi Police put in place a two-tier security ring at the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night.

Police say a dozen Aam Aadmi Party workers, including MLA Rakhi Birla, were briefly detained outside Kejriwal's home in Civil Lines after they engaged in sloganeering and created a ruckus.

Several AAP workers are expected to protest on Friday at several locations. The police have increased security outside the ED offices at Akbar Road and APJ Abdul Kalam Road. In case protests break out, ED may decide to insist on videoconferencing production, according to a senior cop. When Kejriwal is likely to appear in court on Friday afternoon, the cops will also put in multilayer security.

In different parts of the city, prohibition orders may be issued on Friday under Section 144 of the CrPC.

Arvind Kejriwal's legal team referred his petition challenging his arrest to the Supreme Court registrar late on Thursday, but no special bench was constituted and his plea is likely to be heard on Friday.

A lawyer involved in Kejriwal's petition told TOI that it narrated a series of mala fide actions on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre, in issuing repeated summonses to the CM without specifying why he needed to appear in person.

After Kejriwal was arrested, they said he would inform the apex court of the "grave prejudice" AAP would suffer because of its meteoric rise in the national political landscape, which has scared the BJP. According to them, Kejriwal was arrested "to prevent him from campaigning" in the April 19 general elections.

ED has deployed heavy security at ITO after Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last night and brought to ED headquarters.

Delhi CM and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal is undergoing a medical examination at the Enforcement Directorate headquarters

ITO metro station will be closed today from 8:00am to 6:00pm, as advised by Delhi Police

According to Atishi, the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal marks the first time a sitting chief minister has been arrested by the government. Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is perceived as an orchestrated political conspiracy by the BJP. It is unprecedented in the country's history that a national party convenor has been arrested after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections."

In response to the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by the ED, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor demands that "I call upon Supreme Court to take Suo Moto cognizance on what has happened... What has happened is violative of the spirit of democracy... The court has every right to take imminent action against anything that has a material effect on the elections... This is fundamentally violative of the political rights of every Indian citizen... At 11 am, there will be a march to the Raj Bhawan..."

Following his recent arrest, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to appear before a special PMLA court in New Delhi, as the Enforcement Directorate seeks his custody in a money laundering case related to the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.