THE ARREST: POLLS, POLITICS & PEOPLE

A churn is going on among the people ever since the Chief Minister has gone behind bars. Arguments have raged inside and outside courtrooms. Is he in the clear or else? The entire atmosphere in the city is deeply politicised. Delhi was never this divided. As Kejriwal fights his battle, our City Team gauges people's opinion and what's in store for the AAP

HE is not a man who can flee; he is in the public eye." Courtroom 2, Delhi High Court is all crammed on the March 21 afternoon, a sultry stillness settling over faces in the audience while a verbal duel rages between Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju.

"The ED has been calling since last year; can't they wait for two more months? ...the summonses were sent with an oblique motive to arrest him. The investigation has been going on since August 2022," says Advocate Singhvi, appearing for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Chief Minister, after being issued a ninth summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had approached the high court, seeking it to direct the probing agency to stay coercive action against him for not appearing on the eight summonses sent prior.

"You can't jump the gun; put the cart before the horse. The court has to hear first on maintainability (of the plea). They (petitioner) have to demonstrate first that it is maintainable; without demonstration, they can't get interim relief," ASG Raju, representing the central agency, responded.

The back and forth will continue for a while. The court will ultimately deny relief to Kejriwal against 'use of force'. But in the course of the hearing, the division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain will make an "oral observation" that will usher in the storm clouds; a hailstorm shall descend to irrevocably alter the political scenario of the city.

The country will be pelted with headlines like 'first time in the history..." and 'never before...' while the citizen will stare in mute wonderment.

The observation was informal, almost ironic; "You are sending summons after summons.

What has prevented you from arresting him?" the bench asked ED's counsel. And that was it. Hours later, a sticky evening has crept in.