Arvind Kejriwal arrested by ED in liquor scam

In a development which was certain to impact the national politics just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged liquor policy scam.

Kejriwal incidentally is the first serving chief minister to be arrested in the history of Independent India and his party has said he will continue to hold the post.

Delhi minister Atishi said, "We are getting reports that the Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kejriwal. His arrest is a conspiracy by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since the investigation of this case began two years ago, not one rupee has been recovered by the ED or the CBI despite over 1,000 raids on AAP leaders and ministers."

"Arvind Kejriwal's arrest after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election is a conspiracy. Kejriwal is not just a man, he is a thought. If you think arresting one Kejriwal can finish off the thought, you are wrong. Mr Kejriwal is, was and will remain the Delhi chief minister. We have said from the beginning that he will run the government from jail if need be. No law stops him from doing so," she said.

Atishi said the fight will go on and the party has approached the Supreme Court against his arrest. “Our lawyers are going to the court for urgent mentioning. We will demand that the case be heard tonight itself,” she said.

An ED team, consisting of 12 officials, reached Kejriwal's residence with a search warrant on Thursday evening and questioned him before his eventual arrest. His and his wife's phones were confiscated and data was transferred from two tablets and a laptop at his home.

As the ED officials carried out their questioning inside the residence, Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel as well as CRPF teams were deployed outside. Prohibitory orders were imposed in the area outside the residence and several AAP workers, who had gathered to protest Kejriwal's arrest, were detained

Earlier on Thursday, the Delhi High Court had declined to give protection from arrest to Mr Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, but had asked the ED to file a reply to his petition. Listing the matter for the next hearing on April 22, a Bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain said, "We have heard both sides, and we are not inclined at this stage (to grant protection). The respondent (ED) is at liberty to file a reply."