Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Faces Prosecution in Excise Policy Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received the necessary approval to prosecute Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Excise policy case. The approval was recently filed in the Rouse Avenue court, where a supplementary charge sheet against Kejriwal has already been submitted.

Kejriwal was arrested on June 26 and has been in judicial custody since then, with his custody extended until August 27. The court will review the supplementary charge on August 27. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja will also consider the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) supplementary chargesheet against Kejriwal and others on the same day.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of Kejriwal’s bail plea and his challenge to the Delhi High Court’s decision upholding his arrest to September 5. The CBI has been granted an additional week to file a reply in one of the pleas. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the CBI, requested more time to file an affidavit, which was submitted in one of the petitions. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the affidavit was filed late to prevent it from reaching the bench in time.

The CBI’s affidavit claims that Kejriwal is politically sensationalizing the case and was involved in a criminal conspiracy related to the Delhi excise policy. On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest as legal, stating that sufficient evidence was collected and sanction obtained before proceeding with the investigation. The court noted that Kejriwal’s influence on witnesses was evident, as they only came forward after his arrest.

Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. He was later arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while in ED custody.