Supreme Court to Pronounce Order on Kejriwal’s Bail Plea Tomorrow in CBI Case
New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Surya Kant will deliver its verdict on the bail plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the CBI-related case concerning the Delhi Excise Policy on September 13. The Supreme Court had reserved its decision on September 5.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the CBI, opposed Kejriwal’s bail, arguing that if granted, he might influence witnesses, leading them to retract their statements. Raju stated that Kejriwal approached the High Court directly for bail, bypassing the Sessions Court, which should have been the proper channel. He emphasized that Kejriwal is not an exceptional individual requiring special consideration and that his arrest followed due legal process without violating his fundamental rights. When Kejriwal was in custody in the ED case, he was arrested in the CBI case with the court’s permission.
On behalf of Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for bail, asserting that the court should consider three key aspects: the risk of flight, potential influence on witnesses, and tampering with evidence. Singhvi stated that there is no risk of Kejriwal fleeing, nor is there any danger of him influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. He argued that the CBI arrested Kejriwal two years later merely to keep him in jail, despite the stringent provisions of the money laundering law, under which Kejriwal had previously been granted relief twice by the Supreme Court and once by the trial court. Singhvi emphasized that bail is the norm, and jail is the exception, and the Supreme Court’s decision would apply to both ED and CBI cases, including Kejriwal’s case.
In its counter affidavit, the CBI alleged that Kejriwal is the kingpin of the scam and the mastermind behind it, even without being the Excise Minister. All decisions were made under his consent and direction, yet he has failed to provide satisfactory answers to the investigating agency’s questions.
On August 14, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the CBI while hearing Kejriwal’s plea. Previously, on August 5, the Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal’s petition challenging his CBI arrest and the trial court’s order for CBI custody, upholding the legality of his arrest. The CBI had arrested Kejriwal on June 26, following his arrest by the ED on March 21 after a late-night interrogation session. On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, after which he was ordered to surrender on June 2, which he did. In the ED case, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail on July 12.
The Supreme Court’s decision tomorrow will be crucial for Kejriwal as it will determine his legal standing in the ongoing cases filed by the CBI and ED.
