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Delhi high court seeks CBI's response on Arvind Kejriwal's plea against arrest
The Delhi high court posted the matter for hearing on July 17.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation on chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition against arrest by the agency. The court posted the matter for hearing on July 17.
Arvind Kejriwal's lawyer, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued before the court that there was no need for the CBI to arrest the Aam Aadmi Party chief.
"The CBI's FIR is of August 2022, and he is then summoned in April 2023 and questioned for 9 hours. From April till now, nothing has been done and thus on the FIR registered in 2022, he is arrested,” he told the court.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the arrest memo must reflect some reason and basis for such actions. He said the basis of arrest must be that the person is a terrorist or a flight risk. He said his arrest was not necessary because he was under judicial custody in the excise police case.
Also read: Kejriwal moves Delhi HC, calls CBI arrest ‘illegal’
“Arrest memo is quite remarkable. It’s all of 1 para and is of 4 lines,” he added.
The high court bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna then issued a notice to the CBI seeking the agency's response.
"Issue notice. Notice on behalf of the CBI is accepted. Detailed reply be filed within 7 days. Rejoinder if any be filed within 2 days," the court said, before deferring the hearing.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on June 26 by the CBI after a Delhi court allowed the agency to examine him in the courtroom.
He was already under judicial custody in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's probe into the Delhi excise policy case.
ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21. In May, the Supreme Court released him for 21 days on interim bail because of the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to Tihar Jail on June 2.
Last month, a Delhi court granted him bail in the excise policy case. However, the Delhi high court stayed the lower court's order.
On June 29, the city court remanded the AAP chief to 14 days in judicial custody.
