The Supreme Court is set to announce its verdict today on the bail plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is challenging his arrest by the CBI in the alleged excise policy scam. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant had reserved its decision on September 5, and the case also involves charges brought against Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Kejriwal, who was arrested on June 26, has filed two petitions — one challenging the denial of bail and another contesting his arrest by the CBI. The Supreme Court's cause list for September 13 mentions that a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is expected to deliver its decision.
During previous hearings, the CBI argued that Kejriwal should have approached the trial court first for bail. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the CBI, pointed out that in a related money laundering case involving the ED, Kejriwal had been referred back to the trial court by the Supreme Court.
Kejriwal's arrest stems from allegations of corruption related to the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. According to the CBI and ED, irregularities were made while modifying the policy, with undue favours granted to certain licence holders.
The Delhi High Court, in an August 5 order, upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, deeming it lawful. The high court also highlighted that sufficient evidence was collected, and proper sanction was obtained by April 2024, allowing the CBI to move forward with its investigation.
The court further noted that witnesses in the case only felt confident enough to testify after Kejriwal’s arrest, due to the influence he held. The high court had previously dismissed Kejriwal’s plea and granted him the liberty to seek bail from the trial court.
Kejriwal has also been granted interim bail in the money laundering case by the Supreme Court, which allowed him temporary relief while the matter was under review.
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