New Delhi : Hours after the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kejriwal faced a significant setback on Friday as the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court extended his judicial custody until July in a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Both agencies have filed cases against Kejriwal related to alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. However, the nature of these cases differs. Kejriwal’s Supreme Court case challenges his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy. In contrast, the CBI case heard in the Delhi court on Friday pertains to alleged corruption associated with the excise policy “scam.”
Earlier in a day, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the now scrapped excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna referred to his petition challenging his arrest by the ED to a larger bench.
The AAP hailed the Supreme Court for granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy scam case filed by the ED and said this has “exposed” the BJP “conspiracy” against him.
In a joint press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sandeep Pathak termed the Supreme Court verdict as a “victory of truth”.
Earlier, the party in a post in Hindi on X said “Satyamev jayate (truth alone triumphs)”.
The BJP knew that Kejriwal would get bail from the Supreme Court in the ED’s money laundering case linked to the excise policy matter and it, therefore, got him arrested by the CBI, Atishi claimed.
Kejriwal was honest, is honest and will remain honest, she said and added that every court of law has exposed the BJP’s “conspiracy” against him.
Rajya Sabha member Pathak termed the court order “historic” and alleged that the excise policy case was a “circus” by the BJP.
The AAP is hopeful that Kejriwal will also be granted bail in the excise policy case filed by the CBI, Bharadwaj said. While granting the interim bail, the apex court said Kejriwal has suffered incarceration for over 90 days.
