NEW DELHI: In a fraud case involving the liquor policy of the national capital region, an Indian court granted opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal an extension of imprisonment till April 1, according to local media.
Kejriwal was detained by India’s financial crime-fighting agency last week for allegations of corruption pertaining to the city’s liquor policy. He was placed under house arrest until this Thursday, a few weeks before the country’s general elections are scheduled to take place on April 19.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Tejriwal, claims the case is politically motivated and made up. Law enforcement agencies are carrying out their duties, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration and the Bharatiya Janata Party. They also reject political meddling.
Before Kejriwal was detained, all of the AAP’s prominent figures were already serving prison sentences. Kejriwal, 55, told reporters outside of court on Thursday that “the public will respond to this,” calling his arrest a “political conspiracy.” He claimed in a later court appearance that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has him under arrest, wants to destroy the AAP.
Kejriwal was “deliberately not cooperating,” according to ED attorneys, who told the court that they needed to keep him in detention for an additional seven days in order to conduct additional questioning.
Protests against Kejriwal’s incarceration have been going on for the past few days in both the capital city and the AAP-governed northern state of Punjab. While attempting to march to Modi’s home on Tuesday to demand his release, dozens of AAP supporters were arrested.
