Supreme Court to decide on Kejriwal's bail plea tomorrow
What's the story
The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on a plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader is seeking bail and the quashing of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi Excise Policy case. The judgment will be pronounced by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, who reserved their decision on September 5.
Evidence tampering
CBI's concerns over Kejriwal's potential bail release
The CBI had expressed concerns that if Kejriwal is granted interim bail, he may interfere with evidence and obstruct their ongoing investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy case. The agency also suggested that such a decision could undermine the morale of the Delhi High Court. On August 5, the high court rejected Kejriwal's pleas and directed him to seek bail from a trial court instead.
Past proceedings
Supreme Court's previous stance on Kejriwal's bail plea
A week later, the Supreme Court sought a response from the CBI regarding Kejriwal's bail plea but did not grant him bail at that time. The CBI arrested Kejriwal on June 26 while he was already in judicial custody for a separate money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Despite being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case, Kejriwal remains in jail due to pending bail approval in this CBI case.
Arrest details
Kejriwal's arrest and allegations in excise policy case
Last week, the Supreme Court bench questioned the lengthy duration of the bail hearing, saying, "We are wondering how long we should hear in a bail matter, do ordinary mortals get this much time." Kejriwal and other AAP leaders are accused of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to introduce loopholes in the Delhi Excise Policy, favoring certain liquor sellers. The investigative agencies allege that the funds obtained from this scheme were used to finance the AAP's election campaign in Goa.