New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will today challenge the Delhi High Court’s stay on the bail granted to Arvind Kejriwal in the Supreme Court. This decision comes after the trial court had previously granted bail to Mr Kejriwal on June 20 in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, only for the High Court to stay the bail order on Tuesday.

The trial court, in its June 20 decision, had ordered Mr Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. However, a vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain of the Delhi High Court stayed the trial court’s order, criticising it for not adequately considering the material presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and for not allowing the sufficient opportunity for the agency to argue its case.

High Court’s Criticism

Justice Jain remarked that the trial court had failed to properly evaluate the evidence against Mr Kejriwal presented by the ED. “We disagree with the Delhi High Court order. We will challenge it in the Supreme Court,” AAP said in a statement. 

Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, when asked about the High Court’s decision at a press conference, expressed skepticism and indicated that AAP’s legal team would strategise the next steps. “A High Court bench stayed the order of the lower court without even the order getting uploaded. I did not have any hope from the High Court. I think the High Court bench was prejudiced. We will approach the higher court,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

The Delhi excise policy, which was scrapped in 2022, has been under scrutiny following allegations of irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution. Both the CBI and ED allege that undue favours were extended to license holders and that there were significant irregularities in the policy’s implementation.

AAP’s Response

Mr Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI in Tihar Jail on Monday and Tuesday, each session lasting over an hour.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of conspiring with CBI officers to allegedly frame Mr Kejriwal in a “fake case.” In a video message, Mr Singh alleged that the BJP-led Centre was attempting to manipulate the legal process to target Mr Kejriwal.

“We have learnt from reliable sources that the BJP-led Centre has hatched a conspiracy with CBI officers at a time when there is a huge possibility of Kejriwal getting bail from the Supreme Court. They have planned to frame him in a fake case by the CBI and get him arrested. The entire country is watching the atrocities of the BJP. How will one get justice in such circumstances? People will stand up against this,” Mr Singh said.

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation twice this week in the alleged liquor policy case. Mr Kejriwal was questioned on Monday by the central probe agency and then again on Tuesday in the Tihar jail for more than an hour.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief is currently in jail in connection with an Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case arising from the alleged liquor policy case. The Delhi liquor policy 2021-22 was scrapped after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.

The questioning of Mr Kejriwal comes just a day ahead of a Supreme Court hearing of the AAP petition against the Delhi High Court order staying the bail granted to the Chief Minister by a trial court.

The trial court had granted bail to Mr Kejriwal on June 20 and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The high court stayed the trial court order on Tuesday, saying the Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court – “didn’t apply its mind” when granting bail and pointed to what it said were lapses in judgement.

The AAP, meanwhile, alleged a conspiracy involving CBI officers to frame Mr Kejriwal in a “fake case” and get him arrested. The CBI has rejected the accusations.

The Enforcement Directorate or ED had arrested Mr Kejriwal on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest on his petition challenging summonses issued to him.

On May 10, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Mr Kejriwal till June 1 to campaign in Lok Sabha elections, saying he will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2. He has been in jail ever since.

The ED and the CBI have alleged the Delhi government’s liquor policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who paid bribes for licenses. The AAP has strongly denied the charge.