The Chief Magistrate in New Delhi, on the day of Monday, has decreed that Chief Magistrate Arvind Kejriwal be remanded to the custody of the judiciary until the 15th of April in connection with the financial malfeasance case linked to the purported alcohol policy scandal. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has petitioned for a period of 15 days of judicial custody for Kejriwal, citing his uncooperative demeanor. He was presented before the tribunal of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja subsequent to the termination of his custody under the aegis of the Enforcement Directorate.

Kejriwal, who had been apprehended by the investigative body concerning the alleged alcohol policy scandal, made an appearance before the tribunal at Rouse Avenue in the city on Monday, following the expiration of his custody period.

The ED had sought an extension of Kejriwal’s custody by seven days, citing the necessity for further interrogation of the Chief Minister of Delhi. However, on the 28th of March, the tribunal extended Kejriwal’s custody under the purview of the Enforcement Directorate until the 1st of April.

Arvind Kejriwal has been administering the affairs of Delhi from within the confines of the correctional facility, with his spouse Sunita Kejriwal relaying his directives to the executive body. Sunita also took part in the ‘Loktantra Bachao’ demonstration organized by the opposition INDIA bloc, wherein she alluded to Kejriwal as a ‘champion of liberty’. Prominent opposition figures present at the demonstration also advocated for the release of Kejriwal and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, who was detained by the ED in January.

Kejriwal, the national coordinator of AAP, who was detained on the 21st of March and subsequently remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate by a tribunal in Delhi, is facing accusations of direct implication in a plot pertaining to the formulation of the excise policy that favored specific individuals.

Following the conclusion of his initial custody period on the 28th of March, Kejriwal’s detention was prolonged for an additional four days until the 1st of April by a local tribunal. He also filed a petition with the Delhi High Court asserting that his fundamental rights had been transgressed by the Enforcement Directorate.

The litigation relates to purported irregularities and financial improprieties in the conception and execution of the 2022 Delhi excise policy, which was subsequently annulled. During its presentation before the tribunal, the Enforcement Directorate asserted that the Chief Minister of Delhi was the principal conspirator and linchpin in the solicitation of illicit payments from businessmen. The agency further contended that Kejriwal was directly implicated in the formulation of the Excise policy.