The Supreme Court will hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition on Wednesday, seeking his release from jail in connection with the ongoing Delhi excise policy investigation.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case, and Kejriwal remains in detention.
Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan will preside over Kejriwal’s petitions, which challenge the Delhi High Court’s recent decision on 5 August that upheld his arrest and rejected his bail plea.
Kejriwal’s plea, submitted shortly after the Supreme Court granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a related investigation, contests his arrest and the subsequent judicial remand.
The petition also seeks bail, arguing that the legal grounds applied in Sisodia’s case should similarly favor his release.
The Delhi High Court had earlier ruled that Kejriwal’s arrest was justified based on the evidence presented by the CBI, leading to his continued detention.
However, Kejriwal’s legal team has drawn parallels to the Supreme Court’s reasoning in the Sisodia case, where the court highlighted the fundamental right to liberty and a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution, particularly in instances of prolonged detention without trial.
Kejriwal, in his plea, emphasized that the criteria applied in Sisodia’s case including the completion of the investigation and the low risk of absconding due to strong societal ties should equally apply to him, warranting his release on bail.
This legal battle comes at a critical time, with Delhi Assembly elections approaching early next year.
Kejriwal, as the leading figure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), plays a pivotal role in the party’s campaign strategy, focusing on key governance issues in the capital.
Kejriwal has been in custody since 21 March, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Despite being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court for election campaigning earlier this year, he remains detained due to his subsequent arrest by the CBI in June over the same case.
The allegations against Kejriwal stem from alleged irregularities in Delhi’s now-repealed excise policy of 2021-22, a matter initiated by the CBI after a recommendation by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor in July 2022.
Kejriwal becomes the third AAP leader arrested in this case, following Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
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