Supreme Court Criticizes CBI Arrest, Grants Bail to Arvind Kejriwal in ED Case

Supreme Court Criticizes CBI Arrest, Grants Bail to Arvind Kejriwal in ED Case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal bail in a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pertaining to the alleged excise policy scam.

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while granting bail, said that the arrest by CBI seems to be after an attempt is made to obstruct the bail to Kejriwal in the ED case. Prolonged imprisonment is unduly deprivation of liberty, observed the Supreme Court two-judge bench.

Justice Surya Kant, while passing the order, identified three critical issues arising in this case. While setting aside the plea of Kejriwal on procedural defects in his arrest by the CBI, the court finally agreed with Justice Bhuyan on Kejriwal’s regular bail.

ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal for the first time on March 21, 2024, while the federal probe agency was investigating cases related to money laundering in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy of 2021-22.

He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the ongoing custody with the Enforcement Directorate on June 26, 2024.

The Supreme Court had reserved its order on September 5 after lawyers representing both Kejriwal and the CBI argued the case.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appearing for the CBI had opposed the petition filed by Kejriwal saying he cannot jump the queue, go directly to the Delhi High Court which had rejected his plea, and then to the Supreme Court.

On 5 August, the Delhi High Court had given an order that termed Kejriwal’s arrest as legal and dismissed the appeal.

The court held that by April 2024, sufficient evidence had been collected for the CBI to continue its probe. The High Court has also rejected the charge of malafide because Kejriwal was in a position to wield undue influence on the witnesses being the Magsaysay Award winner and chief of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Also Read: Mamata Banerjee Offers to Resign Amid Ongoing Stand-Off with Protesting Doctors

The court also showed that the witnesses, because of Kejriwal’s stature, had only presented themselves to testify against him after his arrest. The special prosecutor made such a case in court per order.