NEW DELHIH: In a big relief for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court granted him bail on Friday in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. The decision came from a two-judge bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, who had reserved the order on September 5 after concluding the hearing. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the CBI on June 26, was granted bail on a bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties.

Conditions of Bail: The Supreme Court has imposed certain conditions on Kejriwal’s bail:

He must not make any public comments regarding the merits of the case.
He must attend all hearings before the trial court unless granted an exemption.
Kejriwal's legal troubles began when he was first detained in March by India's financial crime agency over alleged irregularities in Delhi's liquor policy, just weeks before the national elections. Although he was granted bail in July for this case, he remained in custody due to a separate arrest by the federal police in a related corruption case.

Kejriwal and his party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), maintain that the charges are politically motivated.

High Court Ruling: On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest, dismissing his plea against it. The court noted that the CBI had collected sufficient evidence and obtained necessary sanctions before advancing the probe. It emphasized that Kejriwal, a prominent figure and Magsaysay Award recipient, could potentially influence witnesses. The court observed that the witnesses were only willing to testify after Kejriwal’s arrest, highlighting his influence.

Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, 2024, was related to a money laundering investigation involving the cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. He was subsequently arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while still in ED custody.

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