SC Special Bench to urgently hear CM Kejriwal's plea

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to urgently hear the plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the liquor policy case.

“A special bench is convening in Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s court. You can go right away and it will be taken up right away,” a Bench presided over by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud told senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared on behalf of CM Kejriwal and mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.

The special Bench headed by Justice Khanna is hearing the plea filed by BRS leader K. Kavitha challenging her arrest by the ED in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case.

CM Kejriwal on late Thursday knocked Supreme Court’s doors after the Delhi High Court denied him protection against "coercive action" by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has issued multiple summons to him in connection with the excise policy case.

He sought an urgent hearing on his plea filed before the apex court for quashing of arrest. In a post on X, Delhi Minister Atishi said that the AAP legal team was heading to the residence of the Registrar of the Supreme Court to ask for an urgent hearing on CM Kejriwal’s plea. Her ministerial colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj posted on X: "Petition has been filed, formalities complete, waiting to hear from Hon’ble SC".

However, the top court did not hold any urgent hearing on Thursday on CM Kejriwal’s plea.

Earlier on Thursday, a division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain of the Delhi High Court declined to pass any order granting interim relief to CM Kejriwal at this juncture.

Last week, the ED issued the ninth summons to CM Kejriwal in the excise policy case, asking him to appear before it on Thursday. The Chief Minister had moved the high court seeking protection against 'coercive action' by the ED, claiming that there is a clear intent to arrest him and hence he won't appear before the agency.