In a significant development for Delhi’s Chief Minister, the Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal on Friday in the Delhi excise case, offering a glimmer of hope for the embattled leader.
A two-judge bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued the interim bail order. In their decision, the judges noted that Kejriwal had already been incarcerated for over 90 days and acknowledged his status as an elected representative. The bench also referred the matter of his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to a larger bench for further examination.
During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, claimed that Kejriwal had refused to provide passwords for his electronic devices. Raju also stated that the agency had gathered substantial evidence, including direct communications between Kejriwal and alleged hawala operators. However, Kejriwal’s advocate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, refuted these allegations, arguing that the purported evidence was not part of the initial case materials.
Despite this reprieve in the ED case, Kejriwal’s legal troubles are far from over. He remains in custody due to a separate detention order by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with alleged corruption in the liquor case.
-Sanyogita
