Delhi excise policy scam: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday filed his response to the Enforcement Directorate reply affidavit and told the Supreme Court that the ED has acted in a "most highhanded manner" in the Delhi money-laundering case.
In his rejoinder affidavit, Kejriwal said: "During an election cycle when political activity is at its highest, the Petitioner's illegal arrest has caused grave prejudice to the Petitioner's political party, and will provide the ruling party at the Centre an unjust upper hand in the ongoing elections. A level playing field which is a prerequisite for 'free and fair elections' has clearly been compromised with the illegal arrest of the Petitioner."
He added that a political conspiracy was hatched behind his arrest as he was taken into custody just before the announcement of the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the ED has said that one of the reasons that necessitated his arrest was that he did not remain present before the investigating officer (IO) despite being summoned nine times.
Kejriwal said the ED has said in its reply that in such a case, the IO was justified in forming an opinion that custodial interrogation would lead to "a qualitatively more elicitation orientated" questioning of the accused.
"The present case is a classic case of how the ruling party-led central government has misused the central agency- Enforcement Directorate and its wide powers under PMLA to crush its biggest political opponent -Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders. The corresponding paras of SLP are reiterated and relied upon herein and not repeated for the sake of brevity," he added.
Kejriwal further claimed that a cumulative reading of the ED's stand in its reply would expose the "bogey and blatant falsehood" in the conduct of its proceedings.
He said the record would reveal that each and every summons issued to him was duly responded to while seeking vital details and information, which under no circumstances can be claimed to be privileged or confidential by the ED.
Kejriwal's response comes days after the probe agency filed an affidavit in the Delhi Excise policy case and claimed that Kejriwal played a central role in the excise policy case, acted as the "kingpin and key conspirator".
ED has said that Kejriwal allegedly collaborated with his ministers and AAP leaders, and was involved in "demanding kickbacks" from liquor businessmen in return for favours granted through the now-scrapped policy.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the money laundering probe relating to the Delhi excise policy, which was brought in in 2021-22.