ED arrests Arvind Kejriwal after questioning him at official residence

NEW DELHI: The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will get heated up as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the controversial excise policy case on Thursday. Kejriwal is the first person to be arrested in the country while being the Chief Minister.

Hundreds of AAP activists protested in front of Kejriwal's residence in Delhi and at various places late at night. They are protesting by blocking the roads. Allies of the INDIA Front, including the Congress, condemned Kejriwal's arrest. On the other hand, the BJP welcomed the ED's action.

The ED arrested Kejriwal after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him any protection from coercive action in the money laundering case related to the excise policy. Yesterday, the ED team reached Kejriwal's official residence and arrested him after questioning him for two hours. Kejriwal, who was taken to the ED headquarters, will be produced in court today.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in the area outside Kejriwal's residence after Aam Aadmi workers gathered outside the residence. Leaders like Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi could not enter the residence.

Although the Aam Aadmi Party approached the Supreme Court against the High Court's order and asked it to consider the petition, the apex court refused to consider it at night. The court will consider the petition today. Manu Abhishek Singhvi filed the petition in person. The party once again approached the Supreme Court after the ED recorded Kejriwal's arrest.

The ED team reached Kejriwal's residence around 7 pm yesterday. Delhi Police, paramilitary and rapid action forces were deployed to provide them protection. The ED officials entered the residence saying that they arrived to issue a summons to Kejriwal and that they had a search warrant with them. The officials seized Kejriwal's mobile phones, tabs and laptop. The officials interrogated Kejriwal after seizing the phones of his family members, employees and other leaders. The officials complained that Kejriwal was not cooperating with the interrogation.

The ED had sent notices to Kejriwal nine times in the Delhi excise policy case. However, he ignored all of them. The ED had filed a case against this in the Rouse Avenue Court. In the meantime, Kejriwal approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, argued that Kejriwal was not above the law. Following this, the court dismissed Kejriwal's plea. It also asked ED to submit a detailed reply on April 22.

Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Kavitha, Kejriwal...

• In February 2023, AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia arrested in the excise policy case
• In October, Aam Aadmi MP Sanjay Singh was also arrested in connection with a case of money laundering associated with the excise policy scam.
• Former Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhara Rao's daughter Kavitha was arrested last week. Kejriwal was arrested yesterday