"Life, Liberty Exceedingly Important": Top Court On Arvind Kejriwal Arrest

The Supreme Court today threw a question to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on why Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested just before the general elections began.

Mr Kejriwal had challenged his arrest in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Explaining the reason behind why the question of the timing of the arrest arose, Justice Sanjeev Khanna told the ED to make it clear whether the central agency can take up criminal proceedings without having gone through judicial proceedings in the case.

The Bench also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to reply on the question of the timing of the arrest, and said, "Life and liberty are exceedingly important. You can't deny that."

"No attachment action has been taken so far in this case, and if it has been done, then show how Kejriwal is involved in the matter," Justice Khanna said. "Tell me, why the arrest before the general elections?" he said.

The Supreme Court noted that in the matter linked to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the investigators have claimed they have found material, but in Mr Kejriwal's case nothing has been brought up.

The Supreme Court told the ED to explain why there has been such a huge gap between the beginning of proceedings and the arrest. The court then ordered the ED to respond on Friday.

Mr Kejriwal, who has decided to continue as Chief Minister from jail, is being kept in Delhi's Tihar under judicial custody after his arrest on March 21.

The Supreme Court had issued notice to ED on April 15 and sought its response to Mr Kejriwal's challenge against his arrest.

On April 9, the Delhi High Court upheld Mr Kejriwal's arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped summons and refused to join the investigation.

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) election campaign is being managed by party leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, along with other senior party colleagues. Mr Kejriwal's wife Sunita has also joined in reaching out to her husband's supporters.