After six months of arrest in the liquor policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday was granted bail by the Supreme Court. A two-judge Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan pronounced the verdict after hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging CBI arrest in the liquor policy case.
The two-judge bench read separate verdicts with Justice Surya Kant noting that prolonged imprisonment “amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty” but held that the arrest of Kejriwal was legal and did not suffer from any procedural irregularity. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, however, had a different view, saying the arrest by the CBI was “unjustified”.
Liquor Policy Case: A Timeline of Kejriwal’s Arrest
March 21, 2024: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal in connection with the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. The probe agency arrested the sitting Delhi CM Kejriwal after the latter skipped nine summonses from the ED, which he termed ‘illegal.’
The case centred on the kickbacks allegedly received by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders during the implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
May 10, 2024: In view of the Lok Sabha elections, the top court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, the date marking the final phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections, and ordered him to surrender before the court by the deadline.
June 2, 2024: The AAP leader surrendered at Tihar jail following the end of his interim bail granted for the Lok Sabha elections by the top court.
June 26, 2024: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Kejriwal in the corruption case linked to the liquor policy case. At that time, he was already in jail in the ED case. The CBI aimed to unroot the corruption and bribery involved in the liquor policy case, different from ED which is probing the money trail.
July 12, 2024: In a major relief for Kejriwal, the Supreme Court granted him bail in the ED case, questioning the validity and timing of his arrest in March. He remained in the custody under CBI arrest.
August 5, 2024: The Delhi High Court upheld CBI’s decision to arrest Kejriwal and directed the AAP leader to seek regular bail from the trial court.
August 12, 2024: Kejriwal moved to the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order to uphold his arrest by the CBI.
September 5, 2024: After hearing the arguments of Kejriwal’s counsel and CBI, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Kejriwal challenging CBI arrest in the excise policy case.
September 13, 2024: The top court granted Kejriwal bail in the CBI case with the AAP leader already having been granted bail in the ED case. The court restricted him from entering the Chief Minister’s office and signing files. It also stated that Kejriwal was to post a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh.
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