Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, officials said.
The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to Kejriwal from any coercive action by the agency.
Soon after the high court order, an ED team reached his residence and carried out searches. Subsequently, he was arrested, officials said.
A 12-member team of the Enforcement Directorate reached Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence with a search warrant in the excise policy case. The Delhi Chief Minister has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Mr Kejriwal has become the first sitting chief minister to be arrested in the history of Independent India and his party has said he will continue to hold the post.
The Enforcement Directorate’s action comes hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection from arrest to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case. The Delhi Chief Minister had challenged the ED summons to him for questioning over alleged money.
He repeatedly refused to appear before the ED, calling the summons by the central agency illegal.
--Agencies
