New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to release Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on interim bail but has sought a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on his petition for regular bail in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.
The court has now listed the matter for hearing after it gets CBI’s response on August 23.
Kejriwal suffering from health issues and should be released on interim bail: Singhvi
Earlier, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, impressed on the court that Kejriwal was suffering from health issues and should be released on interim bail.
But a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said we will not grant interim bail.
Kejriwal’s bail has to be considered against ‘triple test’: Singhvi
Singhvi submitted to the court that Kejriwal’s bail has to be considered against the ‘triple test’ in law on granting bail. According to the triple test, the court looks at the facts if the accused is a flight risk, will he tamper with evidence or influence witness while on bail.
Singhvi also impressed on the court that Kejriwal was earlier granted bail in the CBI case by the trial court but it was stayed by the Delhi High Court by an interim order.
kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI was an insurance arrest: Singhvi
Moreover, Singhvi also submitted to the court that kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI was an insurance arrest as he had been interrogated and investigated by the CBI in 2023 and then on the cusp of his release by the way of bail in the Enforcement Directorate case, CBI arrests Kejriwal in July 2024.
Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal’s plea challenging arrest in CBI case
The Delhi High Court had said that there was no malice in the acts of the CBI. The High Court also rejected his submissions that his arrest in the CBI case was an “insurance arrest” and he was arrested by the central agency because the CBI felt that he may come out in the money laundering case and therefore, the CBI arrested him.
The High Court said that the prosecution has explained that the CBI treaded with trepidation and caution respecting his position as a Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi and proceeded to collect the evidence from other persons suspected to be the accused.
Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in the judicial custody in Tihar Jail in corruption case, has also been arrested in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, however, the apex court on July 12 granted him interim bail in the money laundering case.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in the money laundering case on March 21 and he was later arrested by the CBI in the corruption case on June 26.
