New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal from his position as Chief Minister of Delhi. The PIL was filed in light of Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the liquor policy case.
The division bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, presided over the hearing of the matter. The PIL was filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, a Delhi resident claiming to be a farmer and social worker. Yadav argued that a Chief Minister accused of a financial scandal should not be allowed to hold public office.
Kejriwal, who is currently in ED custody, is set to appear before the Rouse Avenue Courts later today as his custody ends. The PIL raised concerns about Kejriwal's ability to fulfill his duties as Chief Minister while in custody, stating that it could obstruct due process of law and disrupt justice.
Yadav's plea also highlighted potential breaches of confidentiality and procedural rules if Kejriwal were to continue as Chief Minister while under investigation.
The PIL urged the court to issue a writ of quo warranto, questioning Kejriwal's authority to hold the position of Chief Minister and subsequently remove him from office. Another PIL filed by Yadav seeks to prevent Kejriwal from issuing directives or orders while in ED custody, although this plea is yet to be listed for hearing.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)