Delhi court extends Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody till July 25 in case registered by CBI

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court extended the judicial custody of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal until July 25 in a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against him in the excise policy case.

The court order comes hours after the Supreme Court granted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor an interim bail. Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 while remaining in judicial custody in the ED case against him.

The CBI has accused Kejriwal of being ‘one of the main conspirators’ in the irregularities linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. In the Delhi court, the agency had alleged that former media in-charge of AAP Vijay Nair, a close associate of Kejriwal, was in touch with various liquor manufacturers and trades and demanded undue gratification since March 2021, for incorporation of provisions favourable to them in the excise policy.

In its previous chargesheet, the CBI had claimed that out of ₹100 crore kickbacks received by AAP, an amount of ₹44.45 crore was transferred to Goa during June 2021 to January 2022 via ‘hawala channels’, and was used for AAP’s assembly poll campaign in the coastal state.

Earlier on Friday, the top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case filed by ED against him. The court said since the matter is concerned with the right to life and the issue of arrest has been referred to a larger bench, Kejriwal be released on interim bail.

The top court framed three questions related to power, necessity of arrest under section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and policy of arrest by the ED.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sandeep Pathak termed the Supreme Court verdict as a “victory of truth”.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj accused Aam Aadmi Party of trying to “misguide” Delhi people.”

“Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been granted interim bail only because one point of law has been referred to the larger bench. A few days ago, ED presented a detailed chargesheet in front of the court. As per that chargesheet, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was the kingpin of the excise policy scam,” Swaraj, the sitting MP from New Delhi, said.