Conversely, the CBI expressed concerns that releasing CM Kejriwal would cause many witnesses to turn “hostile” and urged the court to deny bail.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday considered the bail petition of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is embroiled in the alleged liquor policy scam. Alongside seeking bail, CM Kejriwal has also filed a separate plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the subsequent remand.
According to the cause list on the Supreme Court’s website, a two-judge bench led by Justice Surya Kant delivered its judgment at 10:30 a.m. Last week, the bench, comprising Justices Kant and Bhuyan, reserved its decision after hearing arguments from senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the CBI.
During the hearing, Singhvi argued that the CBI had not arrested CM Kejriwal for two years but made a hasty “insurance arrest” to prevent his release in the money laundering case. He contended that the CBI arrested Kejriwal for “non-cooperation and evasive replies,” but several Supreme Court judgments have held that cooperation with the probe does not mean the accused must incriminate themselves.
Singhvi further asserted that CM Kejriwal, as a constitutional functionary, met the triple test for bail: he is not a flight risk, will cooperate with the investigation, and cannot tamper with extensive documents and digital evidence after two years.
Conversely, the CBI expressed concerns that releasing CM Kejriwal would cause many witnesses to turn “hostile” and urged the court to deny bail. ASG Raju argued that Kejriwal’s bail plea should be remanded to the trial court and criticized his approach to the Delhi High Court for bail. He emphasized that arrest is a part of the investigation and typically does not require court permission, but in this case, there was a court order granting the power to arrest.
Recently, the Supreme Court granted bail to senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K. Kavitha, and AAP’s former communication-in-charge Vijay Nair in the excise policy case.
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