Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren have both approached the Supreme Court to challenge their respective arrests by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The petitions are set to be heard on Monday before a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.
Kejriwal’s petition contests the April 9 judgment of the Delhi High Court, which dismissed his writ petition against his arrest in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy. Kejriwal, who has been in custody since March 21, filed a rejoinder after the ED submitted its counter-affidavit.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren’s senior advocate, Kapil Sibal, informed the Supreme Court that the Jharkhand High Court had reserved its decision on Soren’s plea challenging his arrest in February. Sibal sought an urgent hearing due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, expressing concerns that Soren might remain incarcerated even after the polls conclude.
Soren, who filed the petition through advocate Pragya Baghel, has denounced his arrest as illegal and malicious. He has also sought interim bail, which was recently denied by the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi. The court rejected Soren’s request for interim bail to attend his uncle’s funeral, emphasizing the severity of the charges against him in the land scam case.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming deliberation on both cases underscores the legal battles faced by these prominent political figures amidst a backdrop of high-stakes elections and allegations of misconduct.
