Delhi Excise Policy Case: Supreme Court To Hear Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea Against HC Order Upholding His Arrest on April 15

On Monday, the Supreme Court is set to hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea against a high court ruling that affirmed his arrest in connection with a money-laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

As per the cause list published on the Supreme Court's website, a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is scheduled to hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition on April 15, contesting the Delhi High Court's ruling from April 9.

In a massive blow to the chief minister, the high court has upheld his arrest in the money-laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.

The High Court has rejected the petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader challenging his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in the agency's custody. The case revolves around allegations of corruption and money laundering in the development and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently canceled.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency.  He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.