Indian SC grants bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India today granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, overturning a previous decision that had upheld his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi excise policy case.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the two-judge bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, delivered the judgment, which was reserved on September 5. The court found that the grounds cited by the CBI for Kejriwal’s arrest did not meet the necessary criteria for detention.
Justice Surya Kant criticized the CBI’s justification for the arrest, stating, “The grounds for arrest do not justify the necessity of continued detention. The CBI cannot use evasive responses as a basis for ongoing custody.”
Justice Bhuyan further highlighted the unjust nature of Kejriwal’s continued detention, noting that it was “a travesty of justice” to keep him in custody based on the CBI’s grounds, particularly when he had already been granted bail in a more stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.
Kejriwal’s legal team had challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision that dismissed his plea against the CBI arrest and refused his bail request. The Chief Minister was initially arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while already in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with a related money laundering case. Despite being granted interim bail in the ED case on July 12, Kejriwal remained in custody due to the CBI arrest.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the continued incarceration was unjustifiable given the bail granted in the money laundering case. He described the CBI’s actions as an “insurance arrest” aimed at preventing Kejriwal’s release.
