Delhi Excise Case: Arvind Kejriwal and BRS Leader K Kavitha’s Judicial Custody Extended Till May 7, Stay in Jail Continues for 14 More Days

Delhi Court Extends Arvind Kejriwal and K Kavitha’s Judicial Custody in Excise Policy Case

The Delhi Court has extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K Kavitha until May 7 in the Delhi Excise Policy case. The extension was announced on Tuesday.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, and K Kavitha, a lawmaker from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), are currently held in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 7. This follows their extended judicial custody for 14 days in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam, which led to their arrests last month, just weeks before the commencement of the Lok Sabha election.

Allegations by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Legal Challenges

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that the accused in the case were in contact with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for devising the now-revoked excise policy. This policy allegedly resulted in unjust advantages for the accused, in exchange for kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader, was arrested by the ED from his residence on March 21, following the Delhi High Court’s denial of interim protection from coercive measures. He has challenged the constitutional validity of specific provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) concerning his arrest, interrogation, and bail.

In his plea, Arvind Kejriwal has raised various concerns, including whether a political party falls under the purview of the anti-money laundering law. The plea alleges that the arbitrary procedures under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are being utilized to create an uneven playing field for the upcoming general elections. The aim, as per the plea, is to skew the electoral process in favor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

Legal Battles and Political Ramifications
The court is set to hear the plea on April 29, which is three days after the second phase of the elections. Previously, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the same plea, stating that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had provided sufficient evidence to support its allegation. The ED claimed that Arvind Kejriwal was involved in formulating the now-defunct policy and had demanded bribes amounting to Rs 100 crore, allegedly used to finance the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) election campaigns in Punjab and Goa.

Both the AAP and Kejriwal have vehemently denied these allegations, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in “political vendetta” against their rivals just before the election. The AAP and other opposition parties have consistently asserted that federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, target opposition leaders under the directives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. However, the central government has refuted these allegations.

Medical Concerns and Legal Proceedings
Earlier today, Arvind Kejriwal, who is a Type 2 diabetes patient, received his first insulin shot in approximately 32 days. This injection became necessary after his blood sugar levels surged to a concerning 320 mg/dl. Kejriwal had filed a plea in court last week requesting insulin injections, but the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the plea. The ED alleged that the Chief Minister deliberately consumed high-sugar foods to raise his glucose levels and then sought medical bail.

Subsequently, on Monday, a Delhi court directed a panel of specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is a center-run institution, to evaluate Kejriwal’s condition. The purpose was to determine whether insulin treatment was indeed necessary for him.

Meanwhile, K Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, awaits the decision on her bail plea. The outcome of this plea will be disclosed on May 2 at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court after a reserved order.

Allegations Against K Kavitha and Legal Developments

The plea filed is against the arrest of K Kavitha by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took her into custody while she was already in jail in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) case. Kavitha was arrested by the ED from her residence in Hyderabad on March 15, sparking a heated controversy involving her brother and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao.

The allegations against Kavitha revolve around her purported involvement in the ‘South group,’ described as a consortium of businesspersons who allegedly paid around Rs 600 crore in bribes to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the allocation of liquor licenses. Kavitha, similar to Arvind Kejriwal, has vehemently denied these charges and has raised questions about the timing of the ED and CBI actions against her, particularly considering their proximity to the upcoming general election.

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In addition to Kavitha, the ED has also arrested two other AAP leaders in connection with this case. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in February last year and has been in custody since. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in October, was granted bail earlier this month.

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During a recent hearing, the Supreme Court, while granting bail to Mr. Singh, remarked that investigating agencies have thus far failed to recover any of the alleged bribe money. The court noted, “Nothing has been recovered… there is no trace (of money allegedly received by AAP as bribes from the ‘South group’).” This observation echoes the stance taken by the AAP and Kavitha’s BRS colleagues regarding the absence of evidence supporting the bribery allegations.

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