A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the CBI’s custody for three days after the agency arrested him in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam.

Special Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order on an application moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which arrested Kejriwal after obtaining permission from the court.

“In view of the factum of the investigation leading to the arrest of the accused, the role ascribed to him and the necessity to confront the accused with the evidence in the present case of conspiracy, the present police remand application of the accused is allowed. However, it shall be for a period of three days from today. Accused Arvind Kejriwal be produced on June 29, 2024 before 7 pm,” the judge said.

He refused to declare the arrest illegal, as sought by the defence counsel, saying “the timing may be circumspect but it is not the clear criterion for declaring an arrest illegal”.

“Investigation is the prerogative of the investigating agency, however, there are certain safeguards provided in the law and at this stage, on the material on record, it cannot be said that the arrest is illegal. The agency, however, should not be overzealous,” the judge said.

He further directed that “Kejriwal be medically examined immediately and thereafter, in terms of the guidelines of the Supreme Court”.

The judge also allowed Kejriwal to meet his wife and lawyers for one hour daily while he is in the CBI’s custody.

The application seeking Kejriwal’s arrest was moved by the CBI after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was produced before the court from the Tihar jail, where he was lodged in judicial custody in a money-laundering case linked to the excise “scam” being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).