source - Internet
The Supreme Court of India has declined to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case associated with the now-defunct liquor policy of the national capital. The court has requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to provide a response to Kejriwal’s bail plea and has scheduled the next hearing for August 23.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, described the situation as “peculiar.” Singhvi highlighted that Kejriwal had previously been granted interim bail in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case on May 10, and subsequently, interim bail from the Supreme Court in July. Additionally, Kejriwal had been granted bail by a lower court in a CBI case. Singhvi criticized the continued detention of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, labeling it as an “insurance arrest.”
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Singhvi argued that Kejriwal’s arrest, occurring nearly two years after the case was filed, was legally untenable and suggested it was motivated by ill intentions. He asserted that Kejriwal met all the criteria for interim bail.
Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court refused to grant any interim relief, firmly stating, “Don’t ask for interim bail; we will not grant interim bail.”
Earlier, on August 5, the Delhi High Court had upheld the Chief Minister’s arrest, dismissing claims of malice in the CBI’s actions and affirming the agency’s evidence of potential witness tampering by the AAP leader.
The Delhi Liquor Policy, which was implemented in November 2021, was revoked in September the following year amidst corruption allegations. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had initiated a CBI investigation into the policy. Both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have accused AAP officials of irregularities and of granting undue benefits to license holders under the new policy.
Apart from Kejriwal, senior AAP members Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have also been implicated and arrested in connection with the liquor policy scandal, though they are currently out on bail. The AAP has condemned these allegations as politically motivated attacks by the ruling BJP.
