Supreme Court To Hear Arvind Kejriwal’s Petition On August 14

The Supreme Court will review Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition on August 14, challenging his arrest and remand by the CBI in the Delhi liquor policy scam case. Kejriwal, currently held in Tihar Jail, has also sought bail from the Court.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, informed the Chief Justice of India (CJI) that the matter is listed for August 20 and requested that it not be removed from the docket. The CJI agreed to this request.

Kejriwal has contested the CBI’s actions in the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court rejected his challenge to his arrest and remand. The High Court deemed the arrest legal and denied Kejriwal’s bail petition, stating that it was incorrect to classify the arrest as illegal. The Court permitted Kejriwal to seek bail through appropriate channels.

During the Delhi High Court hearings, Singhvi compared Kejriwal’s situation to that of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, who faced multiple arrests. Singhvi asserted that such practices should not occur in India.

The CBI’s advocate, DP Singh, noted that only five of those arrested in the case have received bail, including K Kavita, Manish Sisodia, and others associated with Kejriwal. The lower court had previously sent Kejriwal to judicial custody until July 12 after the end of the CBI remand.

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor had initiated a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities and corruption in the excise policy, leading to its repeal in 2022. Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, on money laundering charges related to the liquor scam, but received interim bail on May 10 for election campaigning.

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