Supreme Court Grants Bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Liquor Policy Case
On Friday, the Supreme Court granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged liquor policy corruption case. The Court specified that the bail conditions would be set by the trial court.
The decision was delivered through two concurring judgments. Justice Surya Kant granted bail to Kejriwal, while Justice Ujjal Bhuyan authored a separate opinion that questioned the timing of the arrest by the CBI, describing it as “belated” and unjustified.
The Bench, consisting of Justices Kant and Bhuyan, had reserved its decision last week after hearing arguments from senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, and Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the CBI. Singhvi argued that the CBI’s arrest of Kejriwal, after a two-year delay, seemed like an “insurance arrest” aimed at preventing his release in a related money laundering case. He contended that the Chief Minister had cooperated with the investigation and that his bail was justified, citing that he posed no flight risk, would attend all proceedings, and could not tamper with extensive evidence.
Conversely, ASG Raju argued against granting bail, expressing concerns that Kejriwal’s release might lead to witnesses becoming “hostile.” He also contended that the Chief Minister’s bail plea should have been handled by the trial court initially rather than the Delhi High Court.
Recently, the Supreme Court had also granted bail to other senior AAP leaders in the excise policy case. In his special leave petition, Kejriwal challenged his arrest and the subsequent remand orders, seeking bail in the corruption case. The CBI opposed his plea, claiming that it was an attempt to politicize the case despite numerous court orders acknowledging the alleged offenses.
The Supreme Court had previously granted interim bail to Kejriwal in a money laundering case on July 12, but he remained incarcerated due to the CBI’s arrest. As of Wednesday, a Delhi court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody until September 25.
