HC issues notice to CBI on Kejriwal's plea challenging arrest

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the CBI on a petition filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioning validity of his arrest by the central agency in the liquor policy scam case.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the CBI and posted the matter for consideration on July 17, after hearing senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi for Kejriwal.

The court also sought to know if any bail application filed in the case. On this, the counsel said the petitioner may file it.

In his submission, Singhvi claimed the arrest was not necessary as he was already under the judicial custody.

He contended the arrest on June 26 was made without disclosing sufficient reasons.

He submitted that the CBI's FIR was of August 2022, the petitioner was summoned in April 2023 and questioned for 9 hours.

Since April, 2023 till now, nothing has been done and thus on the FIR registered in 2022, he was arrested, the counsel said.

In his petition, Kejriwal challenged his arrest by the CBI and the trial court's June 26 order in which he was remanded to three-day custodial interrogation in the liquor policy scam case.

He also questioned the trial court's  observation that his arrest was not illegal.

Among the grounds, Kejriwal claimed his arrest was made without compliance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code including Sections 60 A and the Supreme Court's judgment in the Arnesh Kumar case.

Kejriwal faced three days custodial interrogation after his arrest.

On June 29, he was remanded to judicial custody till July 12. He was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in a money laundering case lodged on August 22, 2022 in connection with the scam.