Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED in liquor probe, AAP demands immediate SC hearing

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested on Thursday by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the liquor probe making him the first sitting chief minister to be arrested ever. The arrest came within two months after Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren was arrested – another prominent leader of the opposition; Soren had resigned as the CM just before his arrest making way for Champai Soren to take the mantle of the government. The AAP leadership, however, said Kejriwal will remain the chief minister and the national capital will be ruled from jail. Kejriwal’s arrest comes a week after another big-ticket arrest in connection with the liquor probe. BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested from Hyderabad last week and was brought to New Delhi.
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While Kavitha’s arrest dropped hints that Kejriwal would be ED’s next target, a high court order on Thursday made it easier as the court denied granting any protection to Kejriwal from any coercive action of the agency. Hours after the high court verdict, ED officials swooped in at Kejriwal’s Civil Lines residence with a search warrant. After a few hours, Kejriwal was taken into custody.
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Kejriwal was summoned by the ED to join the probe sine last year but citing various engagements Kejriwal skipped all the summons so far. Kejriwal moved the court and challenged the ED summons calling them unconstitutional. A major blow came to Kejriwal after the court on Thursday said it has no intention to get into the case at this stage.
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The case pertains to the liquor policy which was scrapped after allegations of corruption. Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh were arrested earlier in connection with the same case.
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Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi said the party has already moved the Supreme Court for quashing the arrest of Kejriwal. “We have asked for an urgent hearing by the Supreme Cpurt tonight itself,” Atishi posted on X.
Meanwhile, the AAP leadership said Kejriwal will remain the chief minister as it was decided after a survey of ‘Main Bhi Kejriwal’ at 23.8 lakh households in Delhi.
55-year-old Arvind Kejriwal became Delhi chief minister first in 2013 riding on the wave of the anti-corruption movement that he spearheaded with Anna Hazare. Kejriwal became the second youngest chief minister of Delhi but a year after he resigned after failing to table the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly. In 2015, he again became the chief minister after his Aam Aadmi Party won the election with a majority. In 2020, AAP again returned to power with a majority.
Kejriwal studied mechanical engineering at IIT-Kharagpur and then joined the Indian Revenue Services as an assistant commissioner of income tax in 1995 after cracking the civil services examination. He resigned from his position as joint commissioner of income tax in 2006.