The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy scam on Friday. The verdict comes amid calls from the opposition BJP that Kejriwal resigns from his post as Delhi Chief Minister on moral grounds.
The Supreme Court website has listed the case for July 12 and the verdict will be delivered by a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, had reserved its verdict on Kejriwal's plea on May 17.
Here is a timeline of the legal hurdles faced by the Delhi Chief Minister
* November 2021: Delhi government introduces new excise policy.
* July 2022: Lt Governor VK Saxena recommends a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of policy.
* August 2022: Both CBI and ED register cases in this connection.
* September 2022: Delhi government scraps excise policy.
* October 30, 2023: ED sends first summons to Delhi chief minister in a money laundering case with regard to the Excise policy.
* October 30, 2023: ED sent its first summons to Kejriwal.
* November 2, 2023: Kejriwal skips the first summons and flies to Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh to address a political rally.
*December 2023: ED issued two more summons to Kejriwal for questioning on December 21 and January 3. He calls the summons illegal and politically motivated.
* January 2024: ED sent two more summons for January 18 and February 2. He skips both.
* February 3, 2024 : ED approaches magisterial court against Kejriwal for skipping summonses.
* February 7, 2024: Magisterial court summons Kejriwal on ED complaint.
*February, 2024: ED issues summons to Kejriwal on February 19, February 26 and March 4.
* February, 2024: Delhi court grants Kejriwal exemption from personal appearance for the day.
*February, 2024: Kejriwal skips seventh summon. AAP claims the matter is in court and the ED is yet to respond to the plea in court against the legality of the summons.
* March 7, 2024: Magisterial court issues summons to Kejriwal on ED's fresh complaint against him for evading summonses.
*March, 2024 : Bail for Kejriwal on two complaints filed by ED against him for skipping its summonses in the case.
* March 2024: Kejriwal moves Delhi High Court against ED summonses, stating he won’t appear before the Enforcement Directorate as there is a ‘clear intent’ to arrest him.
* March 21, 2024: Delhi HC refuses to grant Kejriwal any protection from coercive action. He approaches SC.
* March 21, 2024: ED arrests Kejriwal. Kejriwal moves Delhi HC challenging his arrest by ED and trial court order remanding him in agency's custody.
* April 9, 2024: HC dismisses Kejriwal's petition against arrest by ED.
* April 10, 2024: Kejriwal moves SC challenging HC order upholding his arrest by ED.
*April 15, 2024: SC seeks a response from ED by April 24 on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest.
* April 24, 2024: ED tells SC that Kejriwal was guilty of money laundering.
* April 29, 2024: SC questions the non-appearance of Kejriwal before ED despite repeated summonses for the recording of statements, and asks if he can challenge arrest on grounds of non-recording of his version.
* May 10, 2024: SC grants interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1. The court asks him to surrender to authorities again.
*June 1, 2024: He surrenders and is back at Tihar Jail
*June 5, 2024: Court reserves for June 5 order on Kejriwal's interim bail plea.
* June 5, 2024: Court denies interim bail to Kejriwal on medical grounds.
* June 20, 2024: Delhi court grants regular bail to Kejriwal.
*June 21, 2024: ED moves Delhi High Court opposing Kejriwal’s release. HC blocks Kejriwal’s bail.
*June 26, 2024: He was arrested by the CBI on June 26 in connection with the corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.
