‘Last opportunity’: Delhi HC tells AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, 20 others to respond to ED plea in excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate has sought expungement of adverse remarks made against it by a trial court while discharging the accused in the case. The replies are to be filed by April 22.

3 min readApr 2, 2026 02:10 PM IST

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal

The Delhi High Court Thursday granted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal and 20 others a “last opportunity” to respond to the Enforcement Directorate’s plea before the court, seeking expungement of adverse remarks made against the agency by a trial court while discharging the accused in the alleged ‘liquor policy scam’ case.

The HC had sought a response from the 23 accused in the case, including former CM Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, among others, on March 10. However, only two, Abhishek Boinpally and Vinod Chauhan, have filed their responses so far.

The court recorded in its order that while the respondents were granted further time on March 19 to file their responses to the ED’s plea and the remaining respondents are seeking further time, “last opportunity is being granted” to them for filing their responses by April 22.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that failure to file responses by April 22 will mean their opportunity to respond to the ED’s plea will “automatically stand closed”.

Justice Sharma also noted that the arguments in the case will be heard on the next date of hearing on April 22.

While the 23 accused were discharged in the CBI case by a trial court last month, the ED case accusing them of money laundering remains pending before a trial court. The CBI, however, has a challenge against the discharge order of the trial court pending before the Delhi HC.

The ED, in its plea, has taken objection to 18 paragraphs in the trial court’s nearly 600-page verdict. While the trial court was dealing only with the CBI case, the ED has objected to instances where the trial court, in its judgment, had referred to allegations under PMLA.

Story continues below this ad

These include instances where the trial court, in its judgment, observed: “… When such allegations are sought to be re-characterised or ‘dressed up’ as CBI cases or PMLA proceedings, an additional and more serious constitutional concern arises,” and “if investigative agencies such as the CBI or enforcement authorities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) were permitted to enter the electoral arena merely on allegations of ‘cash spending’, ‘illegal funding’, or ‘unaccounted expenditure’, the inevitable consequence would be the criminalisation of electoral competition.”

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
delhi HC

Loading Recommendations...

Apr 12: Latest News

Live Blog