New Delhi: The Supreme Court will pronounce tomorrow (September 13) on pleas filed by Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal seeking quashing of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an excise policy-linked corruption case and seeking grant of bail in the case.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, which reserved the verdict on Kejriwal’s pleas, will pronounce the verdict.
Kejriwal is currently lodged in judicial custody in CBI case
Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in the judicial custody in Tihar Jail in the CBI case, was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case on March 21 and later, he was arrested by the CBI in the corruption case on June 26. The top court earlier on July 12 granted Kejriwal bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
Apex court earlier reserved verdict on Kejriwal’s pleas
The apex court bench reserved its order on Kejriwal’s pleas after hearing submissions from senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who appeared for the CBI.
What did Kejriwal submit before apex court?
During the arguments on hearing on Kejriwal’s pleas, Singhvi raised questions on Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI in the corruption case and termed his arrest by the CBI an “insurance arrest”. He submitted that Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI to ensure that he is kept behind the bars after getting bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He argued that the CBI did not arrest Kejriwal for nearly two years in the alleged excise policy-linked corruption case and an “insurance arrest” was made by the CBI on June 26 after he was granted bail in the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Singhvi further submitted that the CBI did not serve notice to Kejriwal before arrest and an ex-parte arrest order passed by the trial court. Urging the bench court to grant Kejriwal bail, Singhvi submitted that that he is a constitutional functionary and was not a flight risk, was not named in the CBI FIR and has been granted bail in the harsher money laundering court by the trial court and the Supreme Court.
CBI opposed Kejriwal’s pleas
ASG Raju opposed Kejriwal’s pleas and raised questions on the maintainability of Kejriwal’s plea seeking bail without approaching the trial court and said that Kejriwal shouldapproach the trial court for grant of bail. ASG Raju further said that notice to Kejriwal was not issued by the CBI as he was already in judicial custody in the money laundering case.
Kejriwal has moved the top court against the orders of the Delhi High Court upholding his arrest by the CBI in the corruption case and granting him liberty to approach the trial court for grant of bail.