Delhi excise policy case: Supreme Court to hear CM Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea on Wednesday

New Delhi, August 13

The Supreme Court will hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and bail application in connection with the excise policy case on Wednesday, August 14.

Kejriwal’s plea will be heard by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed his petition challenging the arrest and advised him to seek bail from the trial court.

While dismissing Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest, the high court stated that the prosecution has explained that, respecting his position as Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, the police treaded with trepidation and caution and proceeded to collect the evidence from other persons suspected to be the accused. Consequently, extensive investigations were carried out across India to ascertain the entire web of conspiracy involving numerous persons.

In his plea to the Delhi HC, CM Kejriwal stated that he is the national convenor of a national political party (Aam Aadmi Party) and the sitting Chief Minister of Delhi, who is being subjected to “gross persecution and harassment for wholly malafide and extraneous considerations”. Kejriwal was granted interim bail in a money laundering case by the Supreme Court on July 12. Earlier, he was granted regular bail by the trial court on June 20.

On Monday, Rouse Avenue Court granted the CBI 15 additional days to secure the necessary sanctions to prosecute individuals in the alleged excise scam case involving Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The special court adjourned the hearing on the cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet against Kejriwal to August 27.

The adjournment was given after the special public prosecutor informed the court that CBI expects to receive the necessary sanctions from the government to prosecute some of the accused named in the chargesheet. CBI filed its final and fifth chargesheet in the alleged excise scam on July 28, identifying Kejriwal as one of the alleged masterminds behind the scheme.