Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea in connection with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case related to the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam. The decision was made after the CBI requested additional time to submit a counter-affidavit. The case, which was scheduled for hearing on August 23, has now been postponed to September 5.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, granted the CBI’s request and allowed Kejriwal time to file a rejoinder if necessary. The decision came after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought more time for the counter-affidavit, while Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, expressed concerns over the delayed submission of documents, arguing that it was strategically timed to avoid being reviewed by the bench.
Kejriwal’s recent petition challenges the Delhi High Court’s August 5 decision, which dismissed his plea against the CBI arrest but allowed him the liberty to approach the trial court for bail. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while he was already in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case arising from the same liquor policy scam.
Following his arrest, Kejriwal had sought bail from the Delhi High Court, which was denied, prompting him to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court had previously granted him interim bail in the ED’s money laundering case, he remains in judicial custody due to the CBI’s arrest.
During the August 14 hearing, the Supreme Court issued a notice on Kejriwal’s plea but clarified that interim bail would not be granted at that time. Singhvi, arguing on behalf of Kejriwal, highlighted that the Prevention of Corruption Act, under which the CBI case falls, does not impose the same stringent conditions as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), under which Kejriwal had previously been granted bail.
The case has drawn significant attention, particularly with recent developments concerning former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also implicated in the liquor policy case. The Supreme Court recently granted Sisodia bail in both the CBI and ED cases, citing his prolonged pre-trial detention and the delay in the trial process.
As the hearing date approaches, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Kejriwal’s bail plea, a case that continues to have significant political and legal implications in the ongoing investigations.