Delhi Liquor Policy Case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried searches at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in Delhi in connection with the liquor policy scam case. The probing agency arrived with a search warrant at Kejriwal's residence.
The move has come shortly after the Delhi High Court earlier today refused to grant Kejriwal protection from coercive action in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.
They said the agency team went to Kejriwal's residence to serve him a summons in the case. The team also informed the staff at the chief minister's residence that it has a search warrant, they said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief had earlier skipped multiple summonses of the agency in the case.
Earlier in the day, a Delhi High Court bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain refused to grant Kejriwal any protection from coercive action in the case.
The bench listed the AAP leader's application for further consideration on April 22 when his main petition challenging the summons is fixed for hearing, and asked the Enforcement Directorate to file its response.
Section 144 imposed outside Kejriwal's house, AAP fumes against ED action
As ED officials were searching Kejriwal's residence, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, who wanted to enter Kejriwal's residence, was not allowed by the probing agency and asked to return.
Speaking on the development, Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the ED officials have come to arrest Arvind Kejriwal.
Amid this, Kejriwal's legal team has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's order denying interim relief to him in the excise policy case. Reports said that the top court has denied hearing the urgent petition until tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Amid the arrest buzz, a heavy police deployment including Rapid Action Force (RAF) unit is present outside Kejriwal's residence. The Enforcement Directorate team is present at Delhi CM's residence for questioning.
The Aam Aadmi Party has hit out at ED's move saying the people of Delhi are watching this and won't remain silent.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who was denied entry to Kejriwal's residence said, "The way police are inside the house of the CM and no one is allowed to enter it seems, the CM house has been raided. It seems, there is preparation to arrest the CM."
Slamming the probing agency and government at the Centre, Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi said, "It is clear that the ED and their masters, the BJP, do not respect the courts. Had this been the case, they would not have come to raid the residence of Arvind Kejriwal today itself... This is a political conspiracy and they are here to arrest Arvind Kejriwal..."
"Within an hour of the court issuing notice, they (ED) arrived at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal. This shows that today, the ED is not an independent investigative agency. It is a political weapon of the BJP," she added.
Delhi Minister Imran Hussain said, "It's very unfortunate. It's a conspiracy to stop the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. People of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal and they'll respond to the BJP."
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said, "We are waiting for the next step of the BJP govt and what ED does today. People have given the mandate to Arvind Kejriwal to run the govt and he will continue to do so. Even if Arvind Kejriwal will be jailed, 'Sarkar Jail Se Chalegi'."
"It's known by all that Manish Sisodia had been arrested but nothing has been found. 600 more people have been arrested by now. They want to suppress the voice of Arvind Kejriwal before the election, and hence they want to arrest him," said Delhi Legislative Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
"Even if Arvind Kejriwal is arrested, he will not resign," Ram Niwas Goel added.
Reacting on ED's action, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said, "The matter is going on in the court, 22 April has been decided as the next date. What was the hurry to raid, to arrest, to search?... The way police have been deployed here is condemnable... We have no contact with Arvind Kejriwal. Further intentions will soon become clear..."
"Arvind Kejriwal has committed a scam in the liquor policy, looted the people of Delhi, done the work of looting Delhi. So if you have cheated the public, committed theft, or committed corruption, then its consequences are also yours. You have committed theft and corruption in changing the liquor policy under the pretext that you will have to answer," said Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.
What is Delhi's Excise Policy scam?
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.
Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED.
The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP.
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