New Delhi (TIP)- Ahead of Haryana Assembly election, the Supreme Court on Friday, September 13, granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case linked to the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered Kejriwal’s release on a personal bail bond of Rs 10 lakh and two sureties in the like amount.
The Delhi Chief Minister is expected to be out of Tihar Jail by this evening after completion of procedural formalities before the trial court and jail authorities.
Kejriwal is the seventh accused to get bail in the Delhi excise policy scam-related cases after AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K Kavitha, AAP’s former communication in-charge Vijay Nair, Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai and alleged “middleman” Vinod Chauhan.
The top court restrained Kejriwal from visiting the Chief Minister’s Office and Delhi Secretariat. It also directed him not to sign official files unless it’s required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Delhi L-G. It also restrained him from commenting on his role in the money-laundering case against him and asked him not to interact with witnesses and/or have access to official files connected with the case.
Welcoming the verdict, senior AAP leader and co-accused Manish Sisodia wrote on X, “Today, once again truth has triumphed over lies and conspiracies. I once again salute the thinking and foresight of Baba Saheb Ambedkar who empowered the common man against any future dictator.”
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha too took to X to welcome the SC Verdict granting bail to his party leader. “Welcome back Arvind Kejriwal, we missed you! Truth can be troubled but it can’t be defeated! Ultimately, the Supreme Court has pronounced the verdict to free Delhi’s son Arvind Kejriwal from the shackles of jail,” Chadha wrote on the social networking site.
The Bench, which reserved the verdict on Kejriwal’s petitions September 5 after hearing senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi on behalf of the AAP National Convenor and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju for the CBI, however, differed on the validity of his arrest.
While Justice Kant upheld Kejriwal’s June 26 arrest by the CBI in the corruption case, Justice Bhuyan was critical of the probe agency for arresting him after he was granted bail by a special court in the money-laundering case linked to the scam.
The Bench also rejected ASG SV Raju’s preliminary objection on behalf of the CBI regarding Kejriwal having approached the Delhi High Court, bypassing the trial court.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had on July 12 granted interim bail to Kejriwal in a money-laundering case linked to excise policy ‘scam’ even as it referred certain legal issues arising out of his petition against arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to a larger Bench or a Constitution Bench.
Arrested on March 21 by the ED, the AAP National Convenor was released on a 21-day interim bail by the top court on May 10 to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. He surrendered on June 2.
Delhi Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu had on June 20 ordered Kejriwal’s release, saying the ED failed to give any direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of the crime and that the probe agency failed to show that co-accused Vijay Nair was acting on his behalf. She had also said that the ED was acting with bias against the Delhi chief minister.
Source: TNS