The Supreme Court of India has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. However, Kejriwal will remain in jail due to a subsequent arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a related corruption case.The court’s decision comes after Kejriwal has spent over 90 days in detention. Justice Sanjiv Khanna stated, ‘Given that right to life and liberty is sacrosanct, and Arvind Kejriwal has suffered incarceration for over 90 days… we direct that Arvind Kejriwal will be released on interim bail.’ The Supreme Court has referred questions about the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest to a larger bench and framed three questions regarding the power and policy of arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court noted that it lacks the authority to mandate the removal of an elected representative, decisions which must be made by the Chief Minister himself.Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has denied all allegations against him, calling them politically motivated. AAP leaders celebrated the court’s decision, with Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stating, ‘I think Supreme Court has given a huge jolt to the BJP,’ and expressing belief that Kejriwal will also get bail in the CBI case.On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the decision, arguing that it was not a complete relief from the alleged crime committed. The court has imposed certain conditions on Kejriwal’s interim bail, including restrictions on visiting his office or the Delhi Secretariat during the tenure of his bail.
Key points
- Supreme Court granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in the ED case related to the alleged excise policy scam.
- Kejriwal remains in jail due to a separate arrest by the CBI in a related corruption case.
- The court referred questions about the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest to a larger bench.
- AAP celebrated the decision while BJP criticized it.
Contradictions👾While the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case, he remains in jail due to the CBI case, creating a complex legal situation.
