Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal gets bail
Samad Hoque
New Delhi, June 20
In a huge relief to embattled Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, a court here on Thursday granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. AAP leaders hailed the development as the “victory of truth”.
3 months behind bars
- Nov 2021 Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Govt brings in new excise policy
- July 2022 Delhi L-G VK Saxena recommends a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in policy
- Aug CBI, ED register FIRs in case
- Sept Delhi Govt scraps the policy
- Oct 30, 2023 ED issues summons to CM Kejriwal for questioning in money laundering case
- Dec ED issues two more summons
- Jan 2024 Yet two more summons issued by the ED, but Delhi CM Kejriwal doesn’t respond
- Feb 3 ED moves court against Kejriwal for skipping summons
- March 16 Magisterial court grants bail to Kejriwal in ED’s case for skipping summons
- March 21 Kejriwal held after the Delhi High Court denies him relief
- May 10 SC gives interim bail till June 1 for LS election campaign
- May 30 Kejriwal moves Delhi court seeking interim bail
- June 5 Court denies interim bail to the CM on medical grounds
- June 20 Court grants regular bail
Kejriwal may walk out of Tihar Jail on Friday if the bail orders reach the authorities there. The development comes ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which is scheduled to begin on June 24, and after the recent denial to extend the interim bail to Kejriwal on health grounds.
Vacation judge Niyay Bindu, who passed the bail orders, also declined the Enforcement Directorate’s prayer to keep in abeyance the bail orders for 48 hours to allow the agency to appeal against it in a superior court.
The judge ordered Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, but imposed certain conditions, including that he would not try to hamper the investigation or influence the witnesses. The judge also directed Kejriwal to appear before the court whenever required and to cooperate with the investigation. Kejriwal’s lawyers are likely to submit the bail bond before the court on Friday, after which he would be released from the jail. Though the detailed bail order was awaited, according to Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), bail can be granted only if the judge is prima facie satisfied that the accused has not committed the offence and he is unlikely to commit offence while on bail. Hailing the development, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said, “Truth can be troubled, but not defeated. This is the victory of justice.”
