Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by the CBI – inside Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court – in the alleged liquor policy case, and then, inside a tumultuous hour, withdrew a Supreme Court petition challenging a stay on grant of bail after his arrest in March – in the same case – by the Enforcement Directorate.

That petition was withdrawn – the ED offered no objection – citing a desire to launch a more substantial appeal against the High Court’s decision to stay the Rouse Avenue Court’s bail order.

In the Rouse Avenue Court this morning, Mr Kejriwal’s lawyers argued that the agency’s move to arrest the AAP boss at this point showed it had acted “in a most biased manner”. Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari red-flagged the decision given it had already quizzed him for nine hours in April last year.

Mr Kejriwal then was questioned as a witness in the case.

“It is a poor citizen Vs might of the State. This case is pending since August 2022. I was called as a witness… I appeared and, for nine hours, I assisted. Not a single notice (from the CBI) since then. How did they shift from a witness to an accused… it is a long distance to cover,” Mr Chaudhuri argued.

Mr Kejriwal also asked for this hearing to be deferred by 24 hours so he could study the CBI’s case.

“Unnecessary allegations. We could have done this before, or even during, the election. We did not… it  (the interrogation) was done only after the court’s permission,” the CBI responded.