The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. He was in custody for more than six months. The arrest was ordered by the CBI in June that accused him of corruption in the same case.
Allegations Against Kejriwal
Kejriwal, arrested by the ED in March on the grounds of suspected money laundering linked to the now-defunct 2021-22 Delhi excise policy, is now in custody for more than six months. The Delhi excise policy was aimed at rejuvenating Delhi's liquor trade by the AAP government but was then scrapped after several allegations of irregularities cropped up. Investigative agencies said Kejriwal's party received ₹100 crore as kickbacks to finalize the policy, most of which was used in the party's election campaign in Goa.
The CBI, during the hearings, said Kejriwal ought first to have approached the trial court itself for bail rather than direct appeals to both the High Court and Supreme Court. In response, Kejriwal's counsel argued that as a constitutional functionary, he presented no flight risk and that there was no tampering of evidence as most of the evidence was documentary.
Inputs by Agencies
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