Arvind Kejriwal Bail Hearing: Supreme Court Set to Deliver Verdict on Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Plea in Delhi Excise Policy Case

The Supreme Court will announce its verdict on Friday regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petitions for bail and his challenge against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the excise policy case. According to the Supreme Court’s cause list for September 13, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan is expected to deliver the judgment at 10:30 am.

The top court had reserved its verdict on September 5 after hearing arguments from the legal teams representing Kejriwal and the CBI. During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the CBI, criticized Kejriwal for bypassing the trial court and directly approaching the Delhi High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court for bail.

Kejriwal was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a money laundering investigation related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. He was later arrested by the CBI on June 26 while still in ED custody.

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The Delhi Excise Policy Case Explained

In 2021-22, the Delhi government introduced a new excise policy aimed at revitalizing the city’s liquor trade. The policy sought to replace the old sales-volume-based system with a license fee structure for traders, promising modernized stores without the restrictive metal grilles and an improved customer experience. However, the policy was scrapped after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requested a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.

According to the ED, the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) allegedly received ₹100 crore in kickbacks to implement the excise policy, with a significant portion of this money reportedly used in the party’s Goa election campaign. The Supreme Court’s upcoming verdict could have significant implications for Kejriwal’s political future and the ongoing investigations into the policy.

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