Kejriwal's bail put on hold by Delhi High Court amid ED's challenge

The Delhi High Court on Friday temporarily halted the trial court's order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until it heard the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea challenging the bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. The ED urgently mentioned its plea before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, which indicated that it would review the case file shortly. Until the High Court heard the matter, the trial court's bail order could not be enacted.

The ED, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that it was not given a proper opportunity to present its case before the trial court. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, following the Delhi High Court's refusal to protect him from arrest concerning summonses issued against him.

In anticipation of his release, leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) planned to greet Arvind Kejriwal at Tihar Jail. The Delhi Chief Minister's bail was initially approved by a Delhi court after his lawyer contended that the ED had not provided sufficient evidence against him. Around 4 PM, AAP leaders, including Atishi, were scheduled to arrive at Tihar Jail to welcome Mr. Kejriwal.

Kejriwal's arrest related to allegations of money laundering tied to the 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy, which was later revoked after the Lieutenant Governor raised concerns. The ED claimed that funds from liquor vendors were funneled into AAP's campaign in Goa, implicating Kejriwal as the party convenor.

Throughout the process, Mr. Kejriwal and AAP consistently accused the central government of misusing its agencies to harass opposition leaders with baseless charges. The trial court had ordered Kejriwal's release on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, with conditions that he must not interfere with the investigation or influence witnesses, and that he must appear in court as required and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.