New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the now scrapped excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate today (ED). The Delhi CM however will continue to remain in jail as he was arrested by the CBI in the same case.
The AAP celebrated the bail order saying that if the centre acts arbitrarily its pride would be shattered.
Saurabh Bhardwaj, Minister of Health, Urban Development, Tourism, Art and Culture, took to his social media handle on platform X and posted “First, Judge Nyay Bindu granted bail in the ED case, and now the country’s biggest court has granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal.” Further, he added, “The court has taught a big lesson to the Central BJP government. If the centre still acts, arbitrarily, the pride will be further shattered.”
Delhi Minister Atishi said, “…BJP knew that he (Arvind Kejriwal) has been granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, they know that he will get bail by the Supreme Court too. That is why, they hatched another conspiracy and the day on which the bail hearing was scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court, they made CBI arrest Arvind Kejriwal a day before that. Why was he arrested by the CBI? Because if he received bail in the ED case, he would come out of jail and work for the people of Delhi 10 times faster… I would like to tell the BJP today, one after the other – every court in this country has exposed your conspiracy… every court is granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal. I would like to tell the BJP, end your arrogance and stop hatching conspiracy against other parties. Truth can be troubled but not defeated…”
However, the BJP hit out at the AAP saying interim bail was not a relief from the crime committed.
BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said, “Interim Bail is not a relief from the crime that one has committed. Interim Bail provides for one to stay out of jail as the case proceeds. But it doesn’t mean that Arvind Kejriwal has not done a scam, that he was not involved in corruption… Perhaps the Supreme Court has allowed him to be out and work as the people of Delhi are suffering. But the court has not acquitted him.”
Earlier, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi also took to social media platform X and wrote “After Kejriwal’s CBI arrest, I called it “insurance arrest,” that is, knowing our arguments and weaknesses of theirs, the government apprehended adverse order. Hence, the CBI arrested AK after one full year, after interrogating him one year ago and while he was in ED custody.
A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna referred Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED to a larger bench. The Supreme Court, while granting interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case, observed that the Delhi CM has suffered incarceration of 90 days and that it’s conscious that he is an elected leader.
Kejriwal’s lawyer, Rishikesh Kumar, described the verdict as a “big victory.”.
‘The Supreme Court has granted him interim bail and the issue of Section 19 and the necessity of arrest have been referred to a larger bench. CM Kejriwal will remain in custody as his bail in the CBI case is still pending. This is a big victory,” Kumar told ANI.
Additionally, SC lawyer Shadan Farsat, representing Kejriwal, also said, “The court observed that so far as his arrest is concerned, there are certain aspects of the necessity of the arrest. They said Mr Kejriwal has already undergone a large period of incarceration already and therefore, directed his release and bail immediately in the ED matter.”
The top court had reserved the verdict on Kejriwal’s plea on May 17. (ANI)
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