Supreme Court to hear Kejriwal’s bail plea against CBI arrest today

Delhi Excise Policy Case: The Supreme Court will on Thursday hear pleas filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the now-scrapped excise policy case. The Aam Aadmi Party chief has challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision that upheld his arrest in the excise policy case.
The Supreme Court had on August 23 adjourned the hearing into Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by CBI. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan posted the case for next hearing on September 5. The court had granted the CBI one week to respond to one of the pleas.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought time to file a counter-affidavit in one of Kejriwal’s petitions, according to legal news website LiveLaw. Raju submitted that CBI’s counter-affidavit has been filed in the other petition.
Kejriwal’s latest petition before the Supreme Court, filed through Advocate-on-Record Vivek Jain, challenges the Delhi High Court order of August 5, whereby his plea against CBI arrest was dismissed by a Single Judge bench with liberty to approach the trial Court for bail.
On September 3, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court took cognizance of the fourth supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI naming Kejriwal as an accused in the case regarding the alleged irregularities in the formation and implementation of the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief was by CBI on June 26, while he was in custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam.
 
On July 12, however, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the money laundering case, while referring his petition challenging ED arrest to a larger bench. However, he continued to remain in judicial custody due to his arrest by the CBI.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief is the only key political leader who is behind bars in the case. As many as three accused in the case have been released on bail in the past month.
Those granted bail by Supreme Court of India include former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator K Kavitha and Vijay Nair, the former communication in-charge of Aam Aadmi Party. Sanjay Singh, another AAP leader who is also a Rajya Sabha member, was released on bail in April 2024.
There are about 40 accused in the case on charges of money laundering by the ED and the corruption filed by the CBI. Of these five, including Kejriwal, still remain in judicial custody.