Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has argued before the Delhi High Court that he is being unfairly targeted by the Enforcement Directorate, claiming he is a victim of a "witch-hunt." He said that if the trial court's decision to revoke his bail in the money laundering case related to the excise policy is upheld, it would result in a grave miscarriage of justice.
In his opposition to the Enforcement Directorate's challenge against his bail in the case, the embattled Chief Minister argued that discretionary bail orders should not be overturned based solely on the prosecution's "perceptions and fanciful imagination."
“The order passed by the special judge granting bail was not only well reasoned but prima facie showed a due application of mind in considering as well as faithfully recording and dealing with "relevant arguments and contentions raised on behalf of both the parties". "Therefore, to cancel the order would be tantamount to a grave miscarriage of justice,” Kejriwal said in his reply filed to the ED's petition.
The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) urged the high court to reject the ED's petition and lift the interim order from June 25, which had suspended the trial court's decision granting him bail. On Wednesday, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, slated to hear the ED's plea, was informed by the agency's counsel that they had received Kejriwal's response to their petition late Tuesday night, and they requested additional time to prepare a rejoinder.
The court acknowledged that the ED received the reply copy on Tuesday and affirmed the agency's right to submit a rejoinder. It granted the ED additional time to file its rejoinder and scheduled the next hearing for July 15.
Kejriwal, in his reply, contended that the arrest was "illegally made to harass and humiliate" a political opponent and there was no material in possession of ED based on which further incarceration can be justified.