Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21, late evening in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam after skipping nine summons by the Enforcement Directorate, has withdrawn a Supreme Court petition against his arrest, according to sources.
Kejriwal will now approach a lower court, following protocol. This move comes hours after Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha, who was arrested last week in the same case, saw her petition denied by the top court. The same bench that heard Kavitha’s case had been assigned to hear Kejriwal’s plea.
Kavitha was instructed to approach the trial court for relief, including bail. The bench, consisting of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice MM Sundresh, and Justice Bela Trivedi, refused to take up the petition. The court stated that it could not allow individuals to approach it directly, bypassing the lower courts, simply because they were influential figures, such as a senior political leader or a Chief Minister.
Sources within Kejriwal’s legal team have stated that there is no reason why the AAP leader, whose arrest weeks before a general election has sparked nationwide protests, cannot continue as Delhi Chief Minister. They clarified that Kejriwal has not been convicted, only accused.
The protests against Kejriwal’s arrest have seen supportive statements from nearly all opposition parties, particularly those that are part of the INDIA bloc, of which the AAP is a member. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Kejriwal’s family later today.
The AAP has claimed that the Chief Minister’s family is, effectively, under house arrest.
Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal Will Run Delhi Govt From Jail: AAP
