The Supreme Court granted an interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 10 in the excise policy scam case. The SC also allowed him to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, the court directed Kejriwal to surrender on June 2 for interrogation regarding an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy. Here are the key quotes from today’s Supreme Court verdict concerning Arvind Kejriwal:
The Supreme Court said, “Granting Kejriwal interim bail for 21 days will not make much of a difference. 21 days here or there should not make a difference.” Supreme Court lawyer Shadan Farasat representing Arvind Kejriwal said, “The order is operable till June 2. There are no restrictions on what he can say or not say in his election campaigning.”
The Supreme Court turned down the plea from senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Arvind Kejriwal, for interim bail until the announcement of results on June 4 adding, “We are passing an interim order, giving him interim bail till 1st June.” The Supreme Court passed the order declaring. “He will surrender on June 2.”
SC also reprimanded ED saying, “The ED’s Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered in August 2022 while the chief minister was arrested on March 21 this year. He (Kejriwal) was out there for one-and-a-half-years. He could have been arrested earlier or after but nothing such thing happened.”
For the unversed, the Supreme Court had earlier raised concerns about the “delay” in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation into the money laundering case related to the excise policy, which involves Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The court instructed the agency to present case files both prior to and after the arrest of the AAP leader. Additionally, the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta requested the ED to provide case files related to the arrest of Delhi’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is also implicated in the case.
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by ED in March in a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. Here are some of the conditions put by the Supreme Court on Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail:
Condition 1: Bail bonds of Rs.50,000
Condition 2: Won’t visit CM office & Delhi Secratariat
Condition 3: No official files signed unless LG’s approval
Condition 4: Won’t make comment with regard to his role
Condition 5: Will not interact with witnesses or access case files
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22 offered unusually high profit margins of 12% for wholesalers and approximately 185% for retailers. The investigation into the Delhi liquor policy case has placed significant emphasis on uncovering a purported network involving middlemen, businessmen, and politicians, which central agencies have dubbed the “South Group.”
