The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday raided the home of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 30 other locations in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.
One of the lawyers of the chief minister said that they will be seeking urgent listing of the petition on Monday.
The bench said it is not going into the merit of the case at the moment.
The court said it is a matter of propriety but there is no legal right seeking removal of Kejriwal as chief minister following his arrest.
A Delhi court on Friday sent Bharat Rasthra Samithi leader K Kavitha to Central Bureau of Investigation custody till April 15 in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
The federal agency has filed a chargesheet against the 56-year-old politician before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here last year after arresting him in March.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is likely to hear the matter.
The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for exceeding its authority and misusing its powers. The latest rebuke came on Thursday, when the court accused the agency of 'crossing all limits' in a money laundering probe against a Tamil Nadu state-run liquor retailer. This follows a string of similar observations by the Supreme Court and high courts across India, raising concerns about the ED's investigative practices and the potential for misuse of its powers.
The law officer said the money trail showed that Rs 45 crore "kickback" used in the Goa assembly elections came from four hawala routes.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha after an hours-long raid at her premises in Hyderabad and brought her to Delhi for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, agency sources said.
The two federal agencies came in for some sharp criticism over the "fairness" of their investigation, with the apex court observing "Sorry to see this state of affairs".
Arora was arrested under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after a long session of questioning.
Nearly 3,000 polling booths have been identified as sensitive, and special security arrangements, including drone surveillance, have been ensured at some of these locations.
Kumar deposed before the federal probe agency in New Delhi and the investigators are recording his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the two probe agencies, when will the arguments on charges against Sisodia commence in the trial court.
He was first called by the federal agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law".
The Kerala High Court has quashed a case booked under the POCSO Act against six journalists of Malayalam news channel Asianet for allegedly disclosing the identity of a minor victim of sexual assault in a program on the ill effects of drug abuse. The court said that the channel's intention was not to disclose the victim's identity and that the program was intended to alert the public about the increasing drug abuse among youngsters in Kerala. The court also criticized some media outlets for reporting allegations without proper investigation or inquiry.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, which reserved its verdict on two separate regular bail pleas of Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases, told the ED it cannot go by the assumption of bribe having been paid, and whatever protection an accused enjoys under law needs to be granted.
Sisodia was unhappy with the recommendations, so he asked the then excise commissioner Rahul Singh to seek public opinion by placing the Dhawan Committee report on web site, the agency alleged in the chargesheet.
A Delhi court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha, arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying prima facie she not only destroyed evidence but was also instrumental in influencing witnesses and there is 'every likelihood' of her continuing to do so in case the relief is granted.
Kejriwal (55) has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and according to the sources, the agency will record his statement once he deposes before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the two probe agencies, told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti he has instructions to state that the agencies are considering making AAP an accused, invoking legal provisions on "vicarious liability" under the anti-corruption law and section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was brought in by the Aam Aadmi Party leadership, specifically former excise minister Manish Sisodia, to 'continuously generate and channel illegal funds' to themselves, the Enforcement Directorate said in its latest chargesheet in this money laundering case.
BRS leader and former Telangana minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy claimed that Kavitha was taken to Delhi on a flight at 8.45 pm.
This is the third notice to Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, after he refused to appear before the federal agency on two earlier summons for November 2 and December 21.
This comes after the agency conducted searches at his residence earlier in the day in connection with the case.
The report on the alleged liquor scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the elections, claimed a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 941.53 crore, saying timely permissions were not taken for opening the liquor vends in non-conforming municipal wards.
Raghav Magunta was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday evening, they said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to explain why the political party (Aam Aadmi Party) which was allegedly the beneficiary of the Delhi Excise Policy 'scam', has not been made an accused in the money laundering case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to press money laundering charges against its two officers and some private individuals who were recently booked by the CBI in a bribery case linked to an accused arrested in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, official sources said Tuesday.
Special Judge M K Nagpal fixed May 12 for consideration of the charge sheet after the CBI submitted that the prosecution sanction against Sisodia has already been procured from the competent authorities.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, officials said on Wednesday.
The Bihar assembly passed an amendment bill that seeks to make the liquor ban less stringent for first-time offenders in the state.
The agency will also record Kavitha's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Statements of five 'Angadiya' firm operators have also been recorded by the ED to establish the "money trail" of this alleged Rs 45 crore bribe amount.
Delhi deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been named as an accused in the case.
The CBI has alleged that Gorantla's role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 caused 'wrongful gain' to Hyderabad-based wholesale and retail licensees and their beneficial owners.
The central probe agency has got an alleged 'close associate' of Sisodia -- Dinesh Arora -- to spill beans by turning approver in the case, they said.
Amid intelligence reports of a pro-Khalistan group plotting an attack against him, Delhi Chief Ministerial candidate Arvind Kejriwal responded with faith, stating "God will save him." The threat comes ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls, with authorities reviewing Kejriwal's security and deploying round-the-clock surveillance.
Sisodia went to his party office in the morning from where he proceeded to Rajghat. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence ahead of his questioning.
