Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court, which ruled that his prolonged incarceration amounted to an “unjust deprivation of liberty.” The bail comes nearly six months after Kejriwal’s arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy case.
The ruling was delivered by a bench comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Surya Kant, who agreed that Kejriwal must be released. However, certain restrictions remain in place: the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader will not be allowed to visit his office or sign any official files without the consent of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
Kejriwal had previously been granted bail in a related case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), but remained in jail due to the CBI’s arrest in June. The Supreme Court’s decision, delivered on Friday morning, mirrors rulings in similar cases involving AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Telangana politician K Kavitha, both of whom were released under comparable conditions.
Legal Challenges and the Court’s Decision
During the hearing, Kejriwal’s legal team, led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the CBI’s arrest was an “insurance arrest,” timed to prevent Kejriwal’s release in the ED case. Singhvi questioned why the CBI had not acted earlier, despite having registered the case in August 2022.
The CBI, in its defense, claimed that a significant portion of the alleged kickbacks from the liquor policy were used in the AAP’s 2022 Goa Assembly election campaign. Despite this, the court agreed that keeping Kejriwal in jail without trial, especially after granting bail in the ED case, was a “travesty of justice.”
Justice Bhuyan highlighted that “bail is the rule, jail is the exception,” underlining that Kejriwal’s continued detention without trial was untenable.
AAP Celebrates Victory
Kejriwal’s release was met with jubilation by his family, senior AAP leaders, and party workers. His wife, Sunita Kejriwal, declared that the BJP’s plans to keep her husband in jail had been defeated. Party members, including former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Education Minister Atishi, hailed the court’s decision as a victory for truth.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha expressed his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Welcome back, Arvind Kejriwal, we missed you!”
Impact on Haryana Elections
Kejriwal’s release comes at a crucial time for AAP as the party prepares to contest all 90 seats in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections on October 5. AAP, which had hoped to form an alliance with Congress, is now set to contest the elections independently after seat-sharing negotiations fell through.
The Delhi Liquor Policy Case
The case revolves around allegations that Kejriwal and AAP received ₹100 crore in kickbacks for allotting liquor licenses under a controversial 2021 excise policy, which was withdrawn eight months later amid corruption allegations. The ED and CBI allege that these funds were used to finance AAP’s electoral campaigns.
Kejriwal, along with other AAP leaders and Telangana politician K Kavitha, has consistently denied the allegations, accusing the BJP of using central agencies to target political opponents.
