Delhi High Court to Rule on Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Plea in Excise Policy Case
New Delhi, August 5, 2024 — The Delhi High Court is expected to deliver its verdict later today on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the CBI and seeking bail in the ongoing alleged excise policy scam case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna indicated that the court’s order is likely to be pronounced at 2:30 pm today.
On July 17, the high court had reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s plea contesting his arrest, with the court subsequently reserving its judgment on the bail application on July 29 following arguments from both Kejriwal’s and the CBI’s counsels.
Kejriwal’s legal team has argued that his arrest was an “insurance arrest” aimed at keeping him imprisoned. They contended that the CBI lacked sufficient grounds to justify his custody and that the arrest was a strategic move to ensure his prolonged detention. In contrast, the CBI’s counsel opposed the plea, asserting that Kejriwal’s arrest was justified, characterizing him as a central figure, or ‘sutradhaar,’ in the alleged excise scam. The CBI claims that substantial evidence links Kejriwal to the alleged offences.
Kejriwal was initially arrested by the CBI on June 26 while he was detained at Tihar Jail in connection with a separate money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Although Kejriwal was granted bail by the trial court on June 20, this decision was subsequently stayed by the Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case on July 12.
The excise policy under scrutiny was annulled in 2022 following allegations of corruption and irregularities in its formulation and execution, leading to a CBI investigation. Both the CBI and ED allege that modifications to the policy involved irregularities and undue advantages granted to license holders.
