Arvind Kejriwal Arrest: Delhi CM Withdraws Plea From Supreme Court Against ED

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has withdrawn his plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from the Supreme Court, indicating his intention to approach a lower court first. Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency late on Thursday on charges of corruption related to the now-defunct excise policy. This marks the first instance in independent India of a serving Chief Minister being arrested.

The arrest followed Kejriwal's failure to respond to multiple summons from the investigation agency, totaling nine, which he deemed "illegal".

In response to the arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged protests in Delhi on Friday. Security measures were heightened across the city, including heavy deployment of personnel and multi-layered barricades around the BJP headquarters. Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, along with party workers, were detained during the demonstrations, and section 144 was enforced at ITO and around the AAP party office.

Opposition parties from various political backgrounds have criticized the arrest. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in an apparent reference to PM Modi, suggested that "a fearful dictator is trying to destroy democracy". AAP Minister Atishi condemned the BJP-led Central government, asserting that Kejriwal would continue to fulfill his duties as Chief Minister from jail.

Kejriwal's arrest, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, has sparked widespread protests among thousands of party workers and drawn condemnation from the Opposition. The AAP has stated that Kejriwal will continue to fulfill his chief ministerial duties from jail, a development that legal experts suggest could lead to a constitutional crisis.

Earlier in the day, Atishi addressed a press conference, labeling the arrest as a "political conspiracy by the BJP." She remarked, "It is the first time that a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested by the central government. In the country's history, it is the first time that after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the national convenor of a national party has been arrested. Arvind Kejriwal's arrest is BJP's political conspiracy."

The Enforcement Directorate, investigating a money laundering angle in the alleged liquor policy scam, had identified Mr. Kejriwal as a "conspirator." The probe team arrived at Kejriwal's home last evening with a search warrant after he ignored nine summonses from the central agency. Later in the day, the Delhi High Court declined to grant him protection from arrest.

The agency arrested him around 9 pm after conducting a search and questioning session, taking him to the ED office. His and his wife's phones were confiscated, and data was transferred from two tablets and a laptop at his home. Kejriwal spent the night in an ED lock-up after a medical check-up at the RML hospital, according to sources.

In a post-midnight press conference, AAP announced a nationwide protest against the BJP on Friday. In Delhi, the protest will occur outside the BJP headquarters. The scrapped excise policy was introduced to modernize the liquor business in Delhi, promising a more contemporary shopping experience. However, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's order to investigate alleged irregularities in the new policy led to its cancellation.

Kejriwal's arrest comes less than a week after BRS leader K Kavitha was detained in the liquor policy case. Kejriwal was named as a conspirator for the first time following Kavitha's arrest. Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already in jail in connection with the case.