Achi news desk-
GUWAHATI: India’s Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case till June 1, allowing him interim release while the case against him is ongoing. The decision was announced by a bench of Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Dipankar Datta on May 10, with a detailed order expected to come later this evening.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with the liquor policy case, which was registered in August 2022. This arrest took place over a year and a half after the case was filed. The court noted that Kejriwal’s arrest was considerably delayed and noted that his case is different from that of a common criminal, which warrants a different approach.
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During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju strongly opposed the granting of interim bail to Kejriwal, arguing that there was substantial evidence against him and that the ongoing Lok Sabha elections should not be the basis for granting bail. However, the Supreme Court, considering Kejriwal’s status as an elected Chief Minister, was inclined to allow interim bail, stating that general elections are held only once in five years.
The court noted that Kejriwal would be granted bail under specific conditions, including that he would not be allowed to perform official duties during his temporary release, as this could create a cascading effect. The Attorney General proposed additional conditions, such as not talking to the press and surrendering on the last day of the bail period. The court agreed with the latter, stating that Kejriwal must surrender on June 2.
Also Read: Kejriwal’s judicial custody extended till May 20
The court will conclude the hearing on Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by ED next week.
