Delhi liquor case not politically motivated, we're concerned with evidence and we have it, ED tells SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday started hearing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

Delhi Excise Policy case | Enforcement Directorate (ED) tells Supreme Court that Arvind Kejriwal stayed at 7 star Grand Hyatt hotel during 2022 Goa Assembly election and its bill was paid by Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly accepted cash funds for AAP’s campaign.

ED tells Supreme… pic.twitter.com/2WCudxohs0

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During the court proceeding, ED told the court that it is not a politically motivated case and the probe agency was only concerned with the evidence and they have it.

“We are not concerned with politics, we are concerned with evidence and we have it,” said Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for ED.

ED said that at the nascent stage Kejriwal was not the focus and the probe agency was not looking at that, but his role became clearer only when the investigation progressed.

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ED told the apex court that Kejriwal stayed at 7-star Grand Hyatt hotel during 2022 Goa Assembly election and its bill was paid by Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly accepted cash funds for AAP’s campaign.

The apex court had earlier said that it would consider granting interim bail to the Delhi Chief Minister in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“We will keep the matter on Tuesday morning now, and since it is going to take time, we may hear you on the questions of interim bail due to the elections… so please be prepared to answer on that,” a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had told told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju on Friday.

Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

The top court had issued a notice to the ED on 15 April and sought its response to Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest.

On 9 April, the Delhi High Court had upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.

The case relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

With inputs from agencies