Kejriwal was arrested earlier this month, just weeks before national elections in India, in a probe into the alleged corrupt allocation of liquor licenses.
A court in India has ordered the prominent opposition politician and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, to be remanded in custody until April 15.
Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was detained on March 21 in connection with corruption allegations related to the city’s liquor policy. He denied the charges.
India’s financial crime investigating agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had arrested Kejriwal and asked the court to remand him as he was “non-cooperative” and was “giving evasive replies.”
Most of AAP’s senior leadership had already been imprisoned in the same graft case before Kejriwal’s arrest.
Kejriwal’s arrest also drew international attention when India objected to the US and Germany’s insistence on Kejriwal’s “fair” and “impartial” trial.
Opposition cries foul
His arrest weeks ahead of the general elections has sparked large opposition demonstrations.
The opposition has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) of stifling opponent voices and undermining democracy.
Besides AAP, other opposition parties are also entangled with legal actions from federal agencies which they allege are “politically motivated.”
Blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi Kejriwal said, “What the prime minister is doing is not good for the country.”
Supporters of AAP say he has been “falsely arrested” in a “fabricated” case. However, Modi’s government has denied the allegations of political interference.
Source: Dw
