NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal has filed a plea in the Supreme Court questioning validity of his arrest by the CBI in connection with the liquor policy scam case.
He challenged the correctness of August 5, 2024, order by the Delhi High Court, which rejected his plea by Kejriwal to declare his arrest by the CBI as illegal, saying it cannot be said that this was without any justiciable reasons.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 in the case.
He was, however, granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on July 12, in the case, investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
On behalf of Kejriwal, senior advocates A M Singhvi and Chander Uday Singh mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra for an urgent listing.
The bench told the counsel to send a request through email.
Also Read: SC orders interim bail for Kejriwal in ED case, refers issues on arrest to larger bench
The Delhi High Court had earlier this month found no malice on the part of CBI in arresting him on June 26, by upholding validity of the action by the central investigating agency and custodial remand by the special court.
The single judge bench had noted initially, after registration of FIR on August 17, 2022, the petitioner was examined on April 16, 2023 for 9-10 hours since at that stage he was identified only as a person, who was acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case.
"Respecting his position as a Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, the police treaded with trepidation and caution and proceeded to collect the evidence from other persons suspected to be the accused," the court said.
The CBI had said that it is only after sufficient material was collected against the petitioner over a period of one and a half years, that they sought the sanction for prosecution of the petitioner, which was granted on April 23, 2024.
"It is only after sufficient evidence was collected and the sanction was obtained in April, 2024 that the CBI proceeded with further investigations in this matter, against the petitioner and his eventual arrest," the HC had said.
The court also noted the petitioner is not an ordinary person but it is the Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi and the convenor of Aam Aadmi Party, which has its Government in Punjab.
Also Read: Delhi liquor policy case: SC to hear K Kavitha's bail plea on Aug 12
"There were links of this crime even in Punjab but the material witnesses were not forthcoming for the simple reason of the influence exercised by the petitioner, by virtue of his position," the court had said.
