ED to produce Kejriwal in court, seek 10-day custody

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in New Delhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday for obtaining his remand for custodial interrogation in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, officials said.

The 55-year-old politician, also the national convenor and chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the federal probe agency after searches at his official residence at Flagstaff Road in Civil Lines area of the national capital on Thursday.

A team of doctors and medics were seen entering the ED office in central Delhi in the morning where Kejriwal has been housed after the arrest.

The hospital staff is understood to have been called by the ED for conducting a basic medical checkup of the politician before he is taken to the court.

The ED may seek a 10-day custody of Kejriwal from the court alleging his continued 'non-cooperation' in the investigation and to ascertain his personal role and that of his party in connection with the liquor policy and irregularities as alleged by the agency.

The agency may also inform the court about its requirement to confront Kejriwal with other arrested accused and witnesses including Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha, arrested last week, once they get his custody.

Kejriwal's legal defence team is expected to contest the same as they had called the ED action 'illegal'.

As per procedure, the agency also conducts a brief questioning of the arrestee before preparing the remand papers that are placed before the court for seeking their custody.

Meanwhile, security was strengthened around the ED office at the A P J Abdul Kalam Road and the CM's official residence with Delhi Police personnel and central armed police forces (CAPFs) personnel putting up additional barricades and throwing a security ring along the waiting press teams and curious onlookers.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED in this case.

The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits to them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the AAP.

A total of 16 persons have been arrested in this case till now with the ED filing six chargesheets.