CBI arrests Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, he withdraws SC bail plea
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was formally arrested by the CBI on Wednesday in connection with an alleged excise scam. The agency sought a five-day custody of the AAP leader, citing the need to interrogate him to uncover the broader conspiracy. The arrest followed approval from Special Judge Amitabh Rawat, who passed the order after Kejriwal was produced in court from Tihar Central Jail, where he is already lodged in an excise scam money laundering case under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The CBI's application emphasized the necessity to confront Kejriwal with evidence and other accused individuals. The agency's counsel argued that the proceedings were not politically motivated, dismissing Kejriwal's allegations of malice. Kejriwal's defense, however, described the remand application as vague and requested documents related to the CBI's proceedings, including the court order permitting his interrogation in Tihar prison.
On the same day, Kejriwal withdrew his plea from the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order that granted an interim stay on his bail in the money laundering case. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, informed the vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti about new developments, including Kejriwal's CBI arrest, and expressed the intention to file a substantial appeal with all relevant details. The bench, acknowledging the submission, granted Kejriwal the liberty to file an appeal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, confirmed that a reply to Kejriwal's plea had been filed and could be taken on record.
The Delhi High Court had earlier stayed the trial court's bail order, noting that the lower court did not appropriately consider the material presented by the ED. Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21 and granted bail by the trial court on June 20, which stated that Kejriwal's guilt was yet to be established and that the ED had failed to provide direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime. The alleged excise scam involves accusations of irregularities and corruption in the formulation and execution of Delhi's excise policy, which was scrapped in 2022 following a probe ordered by the Delhi lieutenant governor. Both the ED and CBI claim that the policy modifications involved undue favors to license holders, leading to the current legal proceedings against Kejriwal.
