Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to announce its crucial verdict today on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petitions seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the CBI in connection with the controversial excise policy case. The ruling, which could see Kejriwal join fellow AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh in securing bail, is expected at 10:30 am by a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26, while already in custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for a money laundering case tied to the alleged liquor policy scam. On July 12, the Supreme Court granted the AAP chief interim bail in the ED case, but he remained in Tihar Jail due to his CBI arrest.
If the bail is granted, Kejriwal will be the fourth prominent political figure to be released in the liquor policy case, following the release of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Vijay Nair, and BRS leader K Kavitha.
Legal Battle Between Kejriwal’s Team and the CBI
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the Chief Minister’s arrest by the CBI was an “insurance arrest,” executed just as he was about to be released in the ED case. Singhvi contended that there was no substantial evidence to justify Kejriwal’s arrest, labeling the grounds as vague.
Despite the CBI filing the case in August 2022, Kejriwal was not arrested for nearly two years. Singhvi questioned the timing of the arrest, implying that it was strategically delayed.
On the other hand, the CBI argued that funds obtained from the liquor policy scam were funneled into AAP’s 2022 Goa Assembly election campaign. The agency further objected to Kejriwal’s petition for bail, noting that he bypassed the trial court and directly approached the High Court, which had previously rejected his plea.
The CBI’s representative, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, cautioned that granting Kejriwal bail would demoralize the Delhi High Court. However, the Supreme Court expressed disagreement with this assertion, emphasizing that such claims were not appropriate.
Background of the Liquor Policy Case
In November 2021, the AAP government introduced a new liquor excise policy aimed at overhauling the liquor trade in Delhi. However, eight months later, the policy was withdrawn following allegations of corruption in granting liquor licenses.
The Supreme Court’s decision today could have far-reaching implications for the future of AAP’s leadership as well as its legal strategies.
