Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the excise policy case and has also submitted a bail plea.
Previously, the Delhi High Court had dismissed his petition challenging the arrest and advised him to seek bail from the trial court. In dismissing Kejriwal’s plea, the High Court noted that the prosecution had explained that, out of respect for his position as Chief Minister of Delhi, the police had proceeded cautiously and collected evidence from other suspects first. Extensive investigations were conducted across India to uncover the full extent of the alleged conspiracy involving numerous individuals.
In his plea to the Delhi High Court, Kejriwal argued that, as the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the sitting Chief Minister of Delhi, he was being subjected to “gross persecution and harassment for wholly malafide and extraneous considerations.”
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The court acknowledged that the Investigating Agency had gathered substantial material over a period of one and a half years before seeking prosecution sanction for Kejriwal, which was granted on April 23, 2024. The court found that the delay in proceeding against him after the FIR was registered had been adequately explained by the CBI and did not indicate malice.
The court observed that Kejriwal is not an ordinary citizen but a distinguished holder of the Magsaysay Award and a prominent political figure. The court noted that witnesses were only able to testify against him after his arrest, suggesting that the evidence against him solidified following his detention. The court found no evidence of malice in the CBI’s actions.
In deciding Kejriwal’s bail plea, Justice Neena Bansal of the Delhi High Court stated that given the complexity of the case and the extensive evidence on record, it would be in Kejriwal’s best interest to comprehensively address his role in the alleged conspiracy. She noted that since the charge sheet had now been filed, it would be appropriate for Kejriwal to first approach the Court of Sessions Judge for bail.
Earlier, on August 9, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia was released from Tihar Jail after the Supreme Court granted him bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, following nearly 18 months of incarceration.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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