Delhi Court Extends Arvind Kejriwal’s Custody in Excise Policy Case
New Delhi, India – August 20, 2024: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the CBI case until August 27, 2024. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja noted that the court will also consider the ED’s supplementary chargesheet against Kejriwal and others on the same day.
Senior Advocate DP Singh represented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter. Last week, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the CBI on pleas from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail and challenging the Delhi High Court’s order upholding his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan sought a response from the CBI by August 23 and refused interim bail to Kejriwal. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, pleaded for interim bail on health grounds, but the bench declined, stating, “We are not granting any interim bail. We issue notice.”
Singhvi argued that Kejriwal had received interim bail on three occasions in the money laundering case despite the stringent conditions of Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He questioned why Kejriwal was denied regular bail in the CBI case, which does not have similar stringent conditions.
The Supreme Court was hearing Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest and a separate plea seeking bail. On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld the Chief Minister’s arrest as “legal” and dismissed his plea challenging the arrest. The High Court stated that the CBI proceeded with further investigation only after collecting sufficient evidence and obtaining sanction in April 2024.
The High Court noted that there was no malice in the CBI’s actions and highlighted that Kejriwal’s influence on witnesses was evident, as they could only muster the courage to testify after his arrest. Kejriwal, a distinguished recipient of the Magsaysay Award and the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, was 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.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Court -: A court is a place where legal cases are heard and decided. Delhi is the capital city of India, and it has many courts to handle different types of cases.
Arvind Kejriwal -: Arvind Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi, which means he is the head of the government in Delhi. He is a well-known politician in India.
Custody -: Custody means being kept in a place by the police or authorities. In this case, it means Arvind Kejriwal is being kept by the police because of a legal case.
Excise Policy Case -: Excise policy refers to rules about taxes on goods like alcohol. The case is about some problems or corruption related to these rules.
Rouse Avenue Court -: Rouse Avenue Court is a specific court in Delhi where certain types of legal cases are heard.
Judicial Custody -: Judicial custody means being kept in jail by the order of a judge while the case is being investigated or decided.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation. It is a top agency in India that investigates serious crimes.
ED -: ED stands for Enforcement Directorate. It is a government agency in India that deals with financial crimes and money laundering.
Supplementary Chargesheet -: A supplementary chargesheet is an additional document filed by the police or investigating agency with more evidence or details about the case.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes the final decisions on important legal matters.
Interim Bail -: Interim bail means temporary release from custody while the case is still going on.
Corruption -: Corruption means dishonest or illegal behavior, especially by powerful people like government officials.
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a major court in Delhi that handles important legal cases and appeals.
Influence on Witnesses -: Influence on witnesses means trying to change what people who saw or know about the crime say in court.
March 2024 -: March 2024 is a month and year. It tells us when something happened.
June 2024 -: June 2024 is another month and year. It also tells us when something happened.
