New Delhi, 10 March (H.S.): The Delhi High Court issued notices to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and 21 other accused on Tuesday in response to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) petition challenging adverse remarks made against the agency by a trial court while discharging all 23 in the Delhi excise policy scam case.

Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma's bench observed that the trial court's comments appeared to be general in nature against the probe agency, with the next hearing slated for March 19. This follows the court's March 9 order staying a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) departmental action directive and halting further trial court proceedings in the ED's related money laundering case pending the CBI appeal outcome.

The Rouse Avenue trial court on February 27 acquitted all accused, citing glaring inconsistencies in the voluminous chargesheet that failed to align with witness statements. It noted Sisodia's 530 days and Kejriwal's 156 days in jail amid prolonged probes. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBI on March 9, dubbed it Delhi's biggest scam ever and urged quashing the order as legally flawed.Kejriwal's arrests unfolded dramatically: ED nabbed him on March 21, 2024; Supreme Court granted interim bail till June 1, followed by surrender and CBI arrest on June 26; he walked free on September 13, 2024, on regular CBI bail after prior interim relief.

The ED's sixth supplementary chargesheet on May 10, 2024, named BRS leader K. Kavitha and others, with cognizance taken May 29; Kavitha secured Supreme Court bail on August 27.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar