Delhi HC upholds validity of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in CBI case relating to excise policy

Delhi HC on Arvind Kejriwal's bail

In a blow to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on August 5 upheld the validity of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case in the alleged excise policy scam.

The court permitted Kejriwal to move the trial court for bail.

"It cannot be said that the arrest was without any justiciable reason. so far as bail application is concerned it is disposed of with liberty to approach the trial court.”" Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said

The court had on July 29 reserved the order on the bail plea. Kejriwal was the mastermind of the excise policy and it had ample evidence, which it came across after the CM’s arrest, to prove its claim, the CBI said.

“Kejriwal is the sutradhar of the excise policy scam. Every minister has been appointed by him. He appointed his secretariat and Vijay Nair is the part of that. He is the media coordinator," CBI lawyer DP Singh said during the previous hearing.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal, again described it an “insurance arrest” to ensure Kejriwal stayed in jail even though he got bail in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

There was no direct evidence to arrest Kejriwal and he was taken into custody based on hearsay, he had claimed.

"They refer to me as sutradhar (mastermind) but they don't reveal one thing about this sutradhar. There were nine inter-ministerial committees dealing with liquor policy, these had officials from various departments. After one year, in July 2021 the policy was published," Singhvi said.

The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal on July 12 in a money laundering case registered by ED, he remained in custody after the CBI arrested him.

The agency arrested the Aam Aadmi Party chief on June 26, accusing him of irregularities in the 2021-22 excise policy, which it said was designed to benefit a certain group of liquor traders.