New Delhi, Aug 14: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that Kejriwal had been granted interim bail in a related money laundering case, despite the stringent conditions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Singhvi questioned why regular bail was being denied in the CBI case when the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) has less severe provisions compared to the PMLA.
Singhvi expressed concerns over what he termed an "insurance arrest," noting that Kejriwal had been interrogated for nine hours in April, yet no further action was taken until his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March 2024. Despite being released on multiple occasions, he was re-arrested in June.
Singhvi also raised Kejriwal's health issues and requested interim bail, which the Supreme Court refused. The court scheduled the next hearing for August 23.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had upheld the legality of Kejriwal's arrest, stating that there was no malice in the CBI's actions. The court emphasized that witnesses only came forward after his arrest, suggesting his influence had previously deterred them. The High Court advised Kejriwal to seek regular bail from the trial court.
Kejriwal, arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail in the money laundering case in June, but the trial court's order was stayed by the High Court. The Supreme Court granted interim bail in July. The excise policy in question was scrapped in 2022 following allegations of corruption.
