File photo of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. | Photo credit: Reuters
A Delhi court on June 20 granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
The vacation judge, Rouse Avenue Court, Naya Bandu, passed the order after a lengthy hearing by Mr. Kejriwal and the ED. The bail was ordered by the judge in open court on the evening of June 20. A detailed court order is awaited.
Soon after the order was announced, ED counsel Zohaib Hussain sought whether the signing of the surety bond could be delayed for 48 hours so that the central agency could be challenged in the appellate court.
The court rejected the plea, and announced that the bail bonds would be produced before the duty judge on June 21.
The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the ED on March 21. The agency had alleged that Mr Kejriwal was the 'kingpin' of the Delhi Excise Policy scam. After spending weeks in jail, he was released by the Supreme Court on May 10 to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to jail on June 2 as the Supreme Court refused to grant him further relief.
Mr Kejriwal had earlier this month filed two bail applications in the Rouse Avenue court, one for seven days for remedial bail which was rejected on June 5. The second application was for formal bail which was granted on June 20.
The case against Mr. Kejriwal was initially based on an FIR filed by the CBI on a complaint by the Lt. Governor of Delhi alleging various irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy-2021-22, which was later The state had taken it back.
Following the CBI case, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that the money earned through the excise policy was “transferred” to the public ahead of the assembly elections in Goa. Aadmi Party campaign expenditure. 2022.
The CBI and ED have made several arrests in this case, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and BRS leader K Kavita. While Ms Kavita and Mr Sisodia remain in jail, Mr Singh was granted bail earlier this year.
Opposing the Delhi Chief Minister's bail plea, the ED had told the court that the accused had stayed in a seven-star hotel in Goa whose bill was paid with kickback money. ED also maintained that Mr. Kejriwal has not committed the crime but he is responsible for the affairs of AAP and if AAP is guilty of any crime then he is also guilty of that crime.
Responding to the ED's claims, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, representing Mr. Kejriwal, said that the ED has made all its findings based on hypothesis and that there is no money trail, as alleged by the agency. Is.