A Delhi court has extended Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the excise policy case until August 27, 2024. Kejriwal was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering investigation related to the alleged excise policy scam. This arrest followed a CBI probe ordered by the Delhi lieutenant governor into the purported irregularities and corruption in the policy’s formulation and execution. Subsequently, on June 26, 2024, Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI while already in Enforcement Directorate custody.
In a recent development, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the CBI in response to Kejriwal’s bail requests and his challenge to the Delhi High Court’s ruling upholding the CBI’s detention of him. The bench, led by Judges Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, denied temporary bail and directed the CBI to submit a response by August 23. This decision followed the Delhi High Court’s earlier ruling on August 5, which upheld Kejriwal’s arrest as legal and rejected his plea challenging it.
The Delhi High Court had determined that the CBI’s actions were justified based on the evidence collected and the legal sanction obtained in April 2024. The court noted that Kejriwal’s high-profile status and role as the Aam Aadmi Party convenor meant his influence on witnesses could hinder the investigation. The court emphasized that Kejriwal’s arrest was necessary to ensure witnesses could testify without intimidation.
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