Are you going to arrest Arvind Kejriwal again? HC asks ED

New Delhi: While hearing the Enforcement Directorate’s petition challenging the bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a trial court, Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the agency whether it had intension to arrest him again.

Delhi High Court judge Justice Neena Bansal said: "I am confused. What do you want to do? Are you going to arrest him again?"

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court earlier granted bail to Kejriwal in a case related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which the High Court stayed.

Later in July, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail but he still remained in jail as he was arrested by the CBI.

Appearing for the ED, Advocate Vivek Gurnanion Wednesday requested Justice Bansal to hear the petition tomorrow or some other date citing that Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was busy.

Meanwhile, the judge pointed out that the Supreme Court had already granted bail to Kejriwal, with Kejriwal's lawyer, Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, terming the case a "sheer persecution".

The case against Kejriwal stemmed from allegations surrounding the excise policy that Delhi Government introduced in November 2021.

Allowing private licensees to run the shops, the Delhi government withdrew from the retail sale of liquor.

Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar alleged gross violations in the liqour policy raising that liqour licensees received ‘undue benefits’.The policy was scrapped in September in 2022.

Even as the AAP termed Kejriwal's arrest a ‘conspiracy’, the BJP alleged that the AAP used the kickbacks to fund its election campaign.