National Desk
12 July
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
The Supreme Court today granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. Despite this, Kejriwal remains in jail due to his arrest by the CBI in a related corruption case.
A bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta highlighted that Kejriwal, an elected representative, has been in jail for over 90 days. The court emphasized that the matter pertains to the right to life and referred it to a larger bench to examine the validity of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The court outlined three key questions concerning the ED’s arrest powers and policy, ultimately deciding to release Kejriwal on interim bail under the terms of the May 10 order. Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the money laundering case. Subsequently, on June 26, the CBI arrested him in the corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. These cases are related to the Delhi Government’s Excise Policy 2021-22, which was later canceled.
Reacting to the court’s decision, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the interim bail a victory for truth, accusing the BJP of conspiring against Kejriwal. AAP leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Sandeep Pathak held a joint press conference, celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision as a significant vindication.