New Delhi 17 :- AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s lawyer, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on Wednesday described the Delhi chief minister’s arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as an “afterthought insurance arrest”. Arguing before the Delhi high court in favour of Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and remand by the CBI in the Delhi excise policy case, Singhvi claimed the agency neither has any material nor grounds for arrest.
Arvind Kejriwal, who was in judicial custody in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped excise policy, was arrested by the CBI in June. The agency’s action came a few days after a Delhi court granted Arvind Kejriwal a regular bail. The Delhi high court later stayed the Delhi court’s order.
Singhvi today claimed the CBI hadn’t considered arresting his client until June 2024, only after the trial court granted him bail in the ED’s case.
“CBI has not thought me to interrogate till June. The scam allegedly took place in August 2022 and you are in June. Just 2 months short of August, you suddenly feel the need to arrest him?” he said in the court.
Singhvi said the CBI cannot deal with his client in violation of the most overarching fundamental right of liberty.
“The arrest is in breach of the procedure established by law,” Singhvi said.
He said Kejriwal’s arrest violated Section 41 of the CrPC. He said Kejriwal is a chief minister, not a terrorist.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI inside a Delhi court after it allowed the agency to interrogate him.
“No learned trial court judge could have allowed this. He says that the trial court could not have allowed his remand only on the ground that ‘Kejriwal did not give satisfactory answers’,” he added.
Singhvi claimed the CBI didn’t attempt to show under which clause Kejriwal was arrested. He said no reason for the arrest was given.
“Without notice or hearing me, this is allowed,” Singhvi added.
