The court considered a petition concerning violations of video conferencing rules during the period when Mr. Kejriwal was in police custody following his arrest in the alleged liquor policy scam. The petition contended that Mrs. Kejriwal, along with social media accounts of the AAP and certain opposition parties, had copied and posted the video of the court proceedings online. The video in question shows Mr. Kejriwal presenting his side of the case to the court.
In an impassioned speech, Mr. Kejriwal directly addressed the court, accusing the Enforcement Directorate of attempting "to crush" his party. He emphasized, as the AAP has consistently maintained, that no alleged bribes received by his party have been recovered.
"I was arrested... but no court has proved me guilty. The CBI, or Central Bureau of Investigation, filed 31,000 pages (of chargesheets) and ED filed 25,000. Even if you read them together the question remains... why have I been arrested?" he asked the court.
Mr. Kejriwal also referenced the statements of approvers, or accused individuals who became government witnesses, implying that they had been coerced into accusing him.
"The ED had only one mission - to trap me," he alleged, "Three statements were given (by one witness)... but the court only saw those that accused me. Why? This is not right."
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, on charges of playing a key role in orchestrating the alleged liquor policy scam.
The federal agency has argued that Mr. Kejriwal's AAP government accepted bribes in exchange for the allotment of liquor sales licenses, specifically from a 'South cartel' that includes Telangana lawmaker K Kavitha, daughter of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. These licenses were issued under a new policy with inflated profit margins. The ED claims that these bribes, amounting to at least ₹100 crore, were then used to fund the AAP's election campaigns in Goa and Punjab.
Mr. Kejriwal spent over 50 days in jail, a period marked by claims and counterclaims from the AAP, the opposition BJP, jail officials, and the ED regarding his health. The Chief Minister, who is diabetic, alleged that he was being deliberately denied insulin, an essential medication.
The federal agency argued that Mr. Kejriwal had artificially spiked his sugar levels to secure bail on medical grounds and also opposed requests for a doctor's consultation. Mr. Kejriwal was eventually granted interim bail by the Supreme Court, which reasoned that he could not be prevented from campaigning for his party during a national election.
During Mr. Kejriwal's time in jail, his wife, along with senior leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, emerged as prominent faces of the party. Mrs. Kejriwal even delivered a fiery speech at a political rally that included members of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, of which the AAP is a member.
Mrs. Kejriwal's moment in the political spotlight sparked speculation that she might fully enter the political arena, especially with the Delhi Assembly elections approaching next year. However, last month Mr. Kejriwal clarified that she is unlikely to do so, stating that she has no interest in active politics despite her brief appearance.
