Court turns down Delhi chief minister Kejriwal's bail plea

NEW DELHI, April 9 (Xinhua) — The Delhi High Court on Tuesday turned down the bail application of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has been under arrest for nearly three weeks over his alleged role in the liquor scam that hit headlines over two years ago.
The court said that the documents filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) showed that Kejriwal had “conspired with others” and was actively involved in using the proceeds of crime in elections held in the southern state of Goa in the year 2022.
The Delhi CM had moved the bail application challenging his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case linked with the alleged Delhi liquor scam.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that it would approach the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday challenging Tuesday’s High Court verdict.
According to a media report by India Today, the court also noted that Kejriwal was involved in a personal capacity in the formulation of the liquor policy, which was scrapped later, and demanding kickbacks.
“The ED was able to place enough material and statements of approvers that he was given money in cash for Goa elections. Money was sent in cash for the Goa elections. The arrest is not in contravention of law, remand cannot be termed illegal,” the media report quoted the judge Swarana Kanta Sharma as saying while delivering the verdict.
Under present circumstances, the Delhi CM is likely to remain in jail at least till April 15.
Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21 had been a high talking point in Indian political circles. On March 31 a host of political leaders had congregated at a public gathering in Delhi to protest against Kejriwal’s arrest. Enditem