New Delhi, July 2 (FN Bureau) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the probe agency in the Delhi Excise Policy case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna directed CBI to file their reply within 7 days. The court will now hear arguments from both sides on July 17.CBI arrested Kejriwal on June 26 while he was in judicial custody relating to a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The trial court granted him bail on June 20 in the case filed by the ED. However, the order was stayed by the High Court the next day.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Arvind Kejriwal argued that there was no question of CBI arresting the Delhi CM in June because CBI FIR is of August 2022. He was then summoned in April 2023 and questioned for nine hours. From then till now, nothing has been done. Singhvi said that an FIR was filed by CBI in 2022. The summons were issued for questioning in April 2023, and he is arrested now. “Kejriwal is under arrest in judicial custody. There cannot be any reason for arrest. The arrest memo is quite remarkable, only one paragraph,” Singhvi said. The CBI counsel DP Singh appeared before the court in virtual mode. The court directed CBI to file its reply within seven days, rejoinder if any within two days thereafter. The next date of hearing is July 17, the court pronounced.