Nation

Arvind Kejriwal To Be Arrested By ED Today? Security Increased Around Delhi CMs Residence

January 4, 2024
Bharat Times

Amid the speculation that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal could be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate today, the Delhi Police has increased security around the Chief Minister’s official residence. The arrest alarm was raised by AAP ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Kejriwal has skipped several summons issued by the ED in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case. AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have alreday been arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case.

Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Delhi’s Law and PWD Minister, Atishi, said, “News coming in that ED is going to raid Arvind Kejriwal’s residence tomorrow morning. Arrest likely.” After Atishi’s post, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also made similar claim. “It is heard that tomorrow morning, ED is going to reach the house of Chief Minister Kejriwal and arrest him,” Bharadwaj said on X.

The AAP has claimed vendetta politics saying that Sisodia has been in jail for around one year but the ED has failed to provide any proof against him. On the other hand, the BJP asked that if the Delhi CM has done no wrong, then why is he evading ED summons.

The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on December 22 last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. However, CM Kejriwal termed the summon illegal in his reply to the ED. However, he expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear on the summoned date. 

Kejriwal further questioned the timing of the notice as a move to stop him from electioneering ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2024, as per the party sources. The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was “vague, motivated, and unsustainable in law.” He further alleged that the said summons appeared to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.