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Arvind Kejriwal seeking hearing in Supreme Court tonight? His lawyer clarifies
Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal had moved the top court against the high court denying him protection from ED action.
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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will not seek urgent hearing on plea for protection in Supreme Court on Thursday night, his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi was quoted by PTI as saying.
The Aam Aadmi Party convenor had moved the top court against the HC order, ANI has learnt. The development comes amid the ED team reaching Kejriwal's residence saying it had a search warrant.
Earlier in the day, the high court bench of Justices Suresh Kait and Manoj Jain had refused to grant the Delhi CM any protection from ‘coercive action’ in the case. The bench had listed his application for further consideration on April 22 when his main plea challenging the ED summons is fixed for hearing.
During the hearing, additional solicitor general SV Raju had said,"It is already over. Time is over. He is not attending." Raju said that a person who "flouts the law" is not entitled to be heard.
Kejriwal's lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that the CM's arrest was imminent as there was an attempt to create a "non-level playing field" for the upcoming general elections even though there was no necessity to apprehend him after several charge sheets have already been filed before the trial court.
ED at Kejriwal's residence: LIVE coverage
The case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in judicial custody in the case.
Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED. The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with the AAP chief for formulating the excise policy.
