Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal granted bail by Supreme Court
- In Reports
- 02:07 PM, Sep 13, 2024
- Myind Staff
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court, which ruled that his "prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty." This decision follows Kejriwal's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June in connection with the alleged liquor excise policy case.
The Supreme Court's ruling permits Kejriwal to leave jail after nearly six months, as he already has bail in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, he is prohibited from visiting his office or the Delhi Secretariat and cannot sign files without the consent of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
On Friday morning, Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Surya Kant delivered separate verdicts on Kejriwal's two pleas but concurred that he should be released. Justice Kant found no issue with the CBI’s arrest, whereas Justice Bhuyan questioned why the agency acted "only after the trial court granted bail in the ED case."
The court highlighted that "completion of trial (is) unlikely in (the) immediate future" and criticised the continued detention without trial. This decision mirrors previous rulings in similar cases, including those of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Telangana politician K Kavitha. The court described it as a "travesty of justice" to keep Kejriwal in jail without trial, particularly since he had already been granted bail in the ED case.
Justice Bhuyan criticised the CBI's decision to arrest Kejriwal just as he was on the verge of release in the ED case. He underscored the principle established in 1977 by Justice Krishna Iyer that "bail is the rule, jail the exception," noting that further detention under the same offense was "untenable" given the presumption of innocence.
The Delhi liquor excise policy case involves allegations that Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received ₹100 crore in kickbacks, including payments from a 'South group' led by Kavitha, for allotting wholesale licenses. The ED and CBI allege this money was used to fund election campaigns, including for the 2022 Goa Assembly election, and that Kejriwal played a key role in drafting and approving the controversial November 2021 policy, which was withdrawn eight months later.
Kejriwal, Sisodia, Kavitha, and their respective parties have denied all charges and counter-accused the ruling BJP of targeting critics and opposition leaders, particularly ahead of elections.
Image source: HT
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