New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal will have to remain in jail for some more time as The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on the Delhi Chief Minister’s pleas against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in the alleged liquor excise policy scam. While reserving its order after a day-long hearing on Kejriwal’s pleas seeking bail and also challenging his arrest, Justice Surya Kant said that the matter had taken a whole day.
The apex court has not given any specific date for delivering the judgment on the matter. When senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal pressed for his client's bail, Justice Kant further added, "The amount of cases we deal with, think of other litigants." Notably, in the morning, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the lengthy hearing in the bail matter.
Justice Kant had said, "Both sides we will hear. But we are wondering how long we should hear in a bail matter, do ordinary mortals get this much time."
Additional Solicitor General Raju, appearing for the CBI said that if bail was granted then it would demoralise the Delhi High Court. Justice Bhuyan responded, "Do not say all that… Do not say that.. it cannot be a submission of any lawyer." Meanwhile, Justice Kant said that whatever order would be passed, the bench would ensure that nothing like that happens.
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For the unversed, the HC had on August 5 upheld Kejriwal's arrest as legal, and added that there was no malice in the acts done by the CBI. The high court had asked him to move the trial court for regular bail in the CBI case. On August 14, the top court refused to grant interim bail to Kejriwal in the case.
The Delhi CM was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 this year in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. He was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court's order was stayed by the high court. On July 12, the top court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case.
He was arrested by the CBI on June 26.
The excise policy, implemented in November 2021, was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.