The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the now-scrapped liquor policy, reported Bar and Bench.
The court also issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation to respond to the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s bail plea.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also issued notice in another petition filed by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the central agency. The matters have been posted for hearing on August 23.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, told the court that he had been granted interim bail on three occasions in a related matter filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Singhvi mentioned the interim bail orders issued by the Supreme Court on May 10 and July 12, as well as the regular bail order issued by a trial court on June 20. He pointed out that the June 20 order had been stayed by the Delhi High Court after an “oral mention”.
The senior advocate questioned whether Kejriwal could be denied regular bail in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s case when he had been granted bail under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the Enforcement Directorate’s case.
He also noted that the Prevention of Corruption Act, under which the Central Bureau of Investigation has charged Kejriwal, does not impose the same strict conditions as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Singhvi had on June 26 described Kejriwal’s arrest by the investigating agency as an “insurance arrest” to keep him in custody after he had secured his release in the Enforcement Directorate’s case.
On July 12, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the Enforcement Directorate’s case. However, Kejriwal remained in jail after being arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the same matter on June 25.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. The Enforcement Directorate’s case is based on a first information report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The two central agencies have alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government modified Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy by increasing the commission for wholesalers from 5% to 12%. This allegedly facilitated the receipt of bribes from wholesalers with substantial market share and turnover.