On the night of 21 March 2024 the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case. For the next three weeks his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) protested in Delhi and Punjab, and Delhi Police detained ministers under Section 144 orders. The INDIA bloc held a rally at Ramlila Maidan on 31 March, while the BJP marched to demand his resignation. Kejriwal spent 156 days in custody, got bail from the Supreme Court in September 2024 and resigned as chief minister. In February 2026 a trial court discharged him in the CBI case. The CBI's challenge to that order is still pending in the Delhi High Court.
Key takeaways
- The ED arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 21 March 2024, calling him the "kingpin" of the excise policy scam.
- Delhi Police detained ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj at ITO on 22 March and Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains on 22 and 26 March, citing Section 144 orders.
- The INDIA bloc rallied at Ramlila Maidan on 31 March, and the BJP marched for Kejriwal's resignation on 26 March and 10 April.
- The Supreme Court gave Kejriwal bail on 13 September 2024. He resigned as chief minister four days later.
- A trial court discharged him in the CBI case on 27 February 2026. The CBI's challenge is pending in the Delhi High Court.
Background: the excise policy case
Delhi's 2021-22 excise policy was brought in in November 2021 and withdrawn by July 2022, after a Chief Secretary's report alleged lapses and kickbacks Swarajya. The CBI registered an FIR on 17 August 2022, and the ED opened a money laundering case on 22 August 2022 Tribune.
Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and MP Sanjay Singh were already in custody in the case. Kejriwal skipped nine ED summons, saying they were illegal LiveLaw. On 21 March 2024 the Delhi High Court refused him protection from coercive action. An ED team reached his residence that evening and arrested him after a search ANI via Free Press Journal.
What the ED alleged
Claim · ED On 22 March, ED counsel Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told Special Judge Kaveri Baweja that Kejriwal received kickbacks from the "South Group" for framing the policy. He said Kejriwal demanded Rs 100 crore from some of the accused to fight elections. He also said Rs 45 crore used in the Goa assembly election came through four hawala routes PTI via South First. The court gave the ED six days of custody, later extended by four LiveLaw.
The ED told the High Court that Kejriwal was "the kingpin and the key conspirator" and that AAP was the "major beneficiary" of the proceeds of crime LiveLaw. On 17 May 2024 it filed a chargesheet naming both Kejriwal and AAP as accused Tribune. Kejriwal and AAP denied every allegation and called the case a political conspiracy.
AAP protests and detentions
Ministers detained at ITO
Police imposed Section 144 at ITO and around the AAP office on DDU Marg, which is close to the BJP headquarters. When AAP workers refused to disperse, police detained ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj and put them in a police bus. Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed. ITO and Lok Kalyan Marg metro stations were closed Tribune Business Today.
Punjab minister held
AAP said Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was stopped on his way to meet Kejriwal's family, sat down on the road in protest and was detained. A video of the detention was later shared with the false claim that it showed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann BOOM.
"Gherao" march stopped at Patel Chowk
AAP called for a march to the Prime Minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. Police stopped it at Patel Chowk and detained scores of people, including Bains, MLA Somnath Bharti, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and spokesperson Reena Gupta. Lok Kalyan Marg metro station was closed, and entry was restricted at two others PTI via Outlook Tribune.
Mass fast
AAP held a day-long "Samuhik Upwas" at Jantar Mantar and in the capitals of 25 states, according to the party. Bhagwant Mann fasted at Khatkar Kalan in Punjab Tribune Outlook.
I have been detained by Delhi Police while peacefully protesting at ITO.
Atishi, post on X, 22 March 2024 (via Tribune)
Section 144 and police restrictions
Police relied on prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. On 26 March a senior officer at Patel Chowk said, "We will not allow anybody to gather here". DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar said: "There is no permission to hold protest" PTI via Outlook.
For the 31 March rally, police set conditions: no march, no tractor trolleys and no weapons. Section 144 stayed in force on DDU Marg, and about a dozen paramilitary companies were to be deployed PTI via Deccan Herald.
The Ramlila Maidan rally, 31 March
The administration allowed 20,000 people. Police expected more than 30,000, and AAP sources said the crowd could reach one lakh PTI via Deccan Herald. Leaders included Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and Kalpana Soren AIR.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra listed five demands. The Election Commission should ensure a level field and stop "forceful action" by the ED, CBI and Income Tax department. Hemant Soren and Kejriwal should be released at once. Efforts to weaken the opposition financially should stop. And an SIT should investigate funds the BJP raised through electoral bonds Business Today. Sunita Kejriwal read a letter from her husband setting out six "guarantees" Tribune. Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of "match-fixing" the election Maktoob. The BJP called it a "save family" and "hide corruption" rally AIR.
Our Prime Minister Modi ji has imprisoned my husband. Was this action justified?
Sunita Kejriwal, Ramlila Maidan, 31 March 2024 (Tribune)
BJP counter-protests
On 26 March BJP workers marched from near Ferozshah Kotla towards the Delhi Secretariat, shouting "Kejriwal Istifa Do" (Kejriwal, resign). Police said some climbed barricades. Police used water cannons and detained about 57 people, including Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva PTI via ETV Bharat. MP Manoj Tiwari said: "A government cannot be run from jail" PTI via ETV Bharat.
On 10 April, the day after the High Court upheld the arrest, hundreds of BJP activists protested near the AAP office. Police again used water cannons and detained several of them. The Tribune reported that Sachdeva was injured and taken to RML Hospital Tribune.
Both accounts
AAP and opposition account
AAP said the case was fabricated and the arrest was meant to keep Kejriwal from campaigning in the Lok Sabha election The News Minute. His lawyers noted that it came five days after the model code of conduct took effect SC Observer. Bains said "the ED could not prove any money trail". Reena Gupta said peaceful protest was a legal right and that the Prime Minister had imposed "an emergency" Tribune. Claim · AAP Saurabh Bharadwaj said Kejriwal's family had been put under house arrest ANI via FPJ. Police did not respond to this in the sources reviewed.
ED, BJP and police account
Government's position The ED said Kejriwal was arrested only after the case developed and new facts emerged, and pointed to the nine summons he had skipped SC Observer. The BJP and the government denied misusing agencies and said they "are merely doing their job" Reuters via BusinessDay. Sachdeva called Kejriwal "the kingpin of the entire liquor scam" and said he should resign as Sisodia and Satyendar Jain had Tribune. Police said the areas were under prohibitory orders and no protest permission had been given PTI via Outlook.
What the courts did
- 28 Mar 2024: The Delhi High Court dismissed a PIL seeking Kejriwal's removal as chief minister, saying "There is no legal bar today" Tribune.
- 9 Apr 2024: Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma upheld the ED arrest. She held that the timing of an arrest could not be challenged without mala fide on the ED's part LiveLaw.
- 10 May 2024: The Supreme Court gave him interim bail until 1 June, the last day of polling, so he could campaign. Over ED objections, Justice Sanjiv Khanna said "21 days here and there would not make a difference" SC Observer. He surrendered on 2 June ETV Bharat.
- 20 to 26 Jun 2024: A trial court granted him regular bail in the ED case on 20 June. The High Court stayed it the next day, and the CBI arrested him on 26 June LiveLaw.
- 12 Jul 2024: The Supreme Court gave interim bail in the ED case and referred his challenge to the arrest to a larger bench. He stayed in jail because of the CBI arrest LiveLaw.
- 13 Sep 2024: Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail in the CBI case. Justice Kant held the arrest legal. Justice Bhuyan said it was "perhaps only to frustrate the bail granted to the appellant in the ED case". He was barred from the chief minister's office and from signing most files LiveLaw. He left Tihar jail that evening PTI via Onmanorama.
It is imperative that the CBI dispels the notion of being a caged parrot.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Supreme Court, 13 September 2024 (LiveLaw)
Resignation and the 2025 election
Kejriwal announced on 15 September 2024 that he would step down. He said he would return to the chair only when voters gave him a "certificate of honesty". He resigned on 17 September, and AAP chose Atishi as his successor PTI via Onmanorama. In the Delhi assembly results on 8 February 2025 he lost the New Delhi seat to the BJP's Parvesh Verma by 4,089 votes, and the BJP formed the government ETV Bharat.
Where the case stands now
On 27 February 2026 a Rouse Avenue special court discharged all 23 accused in the CBI case, including Kejriwal, Sisodia and K Kavitha. It ruled that the case could not survive judicial scrutiny and stood discredited in its entirety PTI via Tribune. Kejriwal said: "I am not corrupt" Swarajya. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the accused were let off for lack of evidence and called it a "technical matter" AIR.
The CBI filed a revision petition within four hours, calling the order patently illegal and perverse Tribune. On 9 March 2026 the High Court stayed the trial court's remarks against CBI officers. It told the trial court not to proceed with the ED case until the revision is decided ETV Bharat. After Justice Sharma refused to recuse, Kejriwal and Sisodia boycotted her hearings. In May 2026 she issued contempt notices to AAP leaders over what she called a campaign to portray her as biased, and the case moved to Justice Manoj Jain ETV Bharat LiveLaw.
On 17 August 2026 Justice Jain listed the CBI's arguments for 5 and 6 October 2026 LiveLaw ANI via Sentinel. No ruling had been reported as of 12 October 2026. Contempt proceedings against AAP leaders are also pending.
Outcome
- Detentions: AAP ministers and MLAs on 22 and 26 March 2024, about 57 BJP workers on 26 March and more on 10 April. No total was published.
- Injuries: None reported at AAP protests. Sachdeva was reportedly hospitalised on 10 April.
- Custody: 156 days for Kejriwal, ending 13 September 2024.
- Political: Resigned 17 September 2024. AAP lost Delhi in February 2025.
- Court: Discharged in the CBI case in February 2026. The CBI revision and the ED case are pending.
Questions people ask
Why was Arvind Kejriwal arrested in March 2024?
The ED arrested him on 21 March 2024 in a money laundering case over Delhi's 2021-22 excise policy. It alleged that kickbacks from liquor businesses funded AAP's Goa campaign. He denied the allegations.
Which AAP leaders were detained?
Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj at ITO on 22 March 2024, and Harjot Singh Bains, Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla at Patel Chowk on 26 March.
Why did Kejriwal get interim bail in May 2024?
The Supreme Court released him from 10 May to 1 June 2024 so he could campaign in the Lok Sabha election. He surrendered on 2 June.
When did Kejriwal resign as chief minister?
On 17 September 2024, four days after the Supreme Court bailed him in the CBI case. Atishi succeeded him.
Has Kejriwal been acquitted?
No. On 27 February 2026 a trial court discharged him in the CBI case, finding no grounds to frame charges. The CBI has challenged that order, and the ED case is on hold until the High Court decides.
Sources
- Tribune: AAP leaders, workers protesting against Kejriwal's arrest detained, 22 Mar 2024
- Business Today: AAP's Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj detained for protesting, 22 Mar 2024
- ANI via Free Press Journal: AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj detained, 22 Mar 2024
- PTI via South First: Kejriwal "kingpin" of excise scam, claims ED, 22 Mar 2024
- BOOM: Viral clip misidentifies AAP minister as Punjab CM being detained, 30 Mar 2024
- PTI via Outlook: Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains, Somnath Bharti detained, 26 Mar 2024
- Tribune: Delhi has become police state, says AAP, 26 Mar 2024
- The News Minute: AAP leaders detained for protesting Kejriwal's arrest, 26 Mar 2024
- PTI via ETV Bharat: 57 BJP workers detained during march to demand Kejriwal's resignation, 26 Mar 2024
- Tribune: Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Kejriwal from CM post, 28 Mar 2024
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Paramilitary deployed to prevent march from Ramlila Maidan, 30 Mar 2024
- AIR: INDIA bloc organises maha rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, 31 Mar 2024
- Business Today: INDIA bloc makes 5 demands, 31 Mar 2024
- Tribune: At INDIA bloc rally, wife reads out Kejriwal's six promises, 1 Apr 2024
- Maktoob: Thousands join INDIA's maharally in Delhi, 31 Mar 2024
- Tribune: AAP holds nationwide mass fast, 7 Apr 2024
- Outlook: 'Upvas Diwas', AAP leaders begin mass fasting in Delhi, Punjab, 7 Apr 2024
- LiveLaw: Kejriwal's ED arrest valid, says Delhi High Court, 9 Apr 2024
- Tribune: BJP protests, wants Kejriwal to step down over HC verdict, 10 Apr 2024
- Reuters via BusinessDay: India ruling party members detained over protest, 10 Apr 2024
- Supreme Court Observer: Interim bail to Kejriwal till 1 June 2024, 10 May 2024
- Tribune: ED files chargesheet against Kejriwal, names AAP as accused, 17 May 2024
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court grants bail to Kejriwal in CBI case, 13 Sep 2024
- PTI via Onmanorama: Kejriwal walks out of Tihar Jail, 13 Sep 2024
- PTI via Onmanorama: Kejriwal resigns, Atishi stakes claim, 17 Sep 2024
- ETV Bharat: Delhi election results 2025, top AAP leaders lose seats, 8 Feb 2025
- Swarajya: Delhi court clears Kejriwal, Sisodia in CBI excise policy case, 27 Feb 2026
- AIR: Delhi court discharges Kejriwal, Sisodia in excise policy case, 27 Feb 2026
- ETV Bharat: Delhi HC seeks response from Kejriwal, Sisodia on CBI plea, 9 Mar 2026
- ETV Bharat: Division bench to hear contempt case against Kejriwal, others, 18 May 2026
- PTI via Tribune: Delhi HC to hear CBI challenge to Kejriwal's discharge on August 17, Aug 2026
- LiveLaw: Delhi HC grants final opportunity to Kejriwal, Sisodia, lists CBI arguments in October, 17 Aug 2026
- ANI via Sentinel Assam: Delhi HC gives Kejriwal, Sisodia 4 weeks to reply, 17 Aug 2026