New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, allowing him freedom until June 1, coinciding with the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections, according to media reports.
A bench comprising Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta stated that Kejriwal must surrender on June 2 and return to jail. Kejriwal’s lawyer, Abhishek Singhvi, had requested interim bail until June 5 to enable the Chief Minister to participate in the vote counting on June 4. However, the court rejected this application.
On March 21, Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate from his official residence in Delhi in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The central investigative agency alleges that Kejriwal played a pivotal role in the scandal and was directly involved in soliciting kickbacks from liquor barons.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court stated that granting Kejriwal interim bail while in jail would not allow him to perform his official duties due to the potential “cascading effect.”
Kejriwal’s appeal to the Supreme Court followed the dismissal of his petition contesting his arrest and custody by the Delhi High Court on April 9. His arrest led to allegations by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi, of political vendetta by the ruling BJP, accusing them of preventing Kejriwal from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, Delhi, a union territory, is set to vote on its seven Lok Sabha seats on May 25, with results scheduled for June 4.
