Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Seeks Bail in Excise Policy Case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved to the Delhi High Court seeking bail in a case related to the excise policy. Kejriwal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 26, 2024. He challenged his arrest and the remand granted by the trial court.

Advocates Rajat Bharadwaj and Mohd Irshad requested an urgent listing of the matter before Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, who agreed to hear it on July 5, 2024. The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the CBI and scheduled a detailed hearing for July 17, 2024.

Kejriwal’s plea argues that his arrest violated Sections 41 and 60A of the CrPC, which require specific procedures for arrests. He claims that the CBI did not follow these procedures, making his arrest illegal. The plea also states that the arrest was based on old material, which is not allowed by law.

The CBI alleges that Kejriwal did not cooperate during the investigation and gave evasive answers. They also claim that he could not explain certain decisions related to the excise policy and meetings with various stakeholders. The CBI believes that Kejriwal, being an influential person, may have influenced witnesses and tampered with evidence.

The trial court’s bail order for Kejriwal has been stayed by the Delhi High Court, which noted that the trial court should have recorded its satisfaction with the conditions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act before granting bail.