SC to consider listing of Kejriwal’s plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider listing for hearing a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against a Delhi High Court order that upheld his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with an alleged excise policy scam.

The Delhi High Court, on August 5, had ruled that Kejriwal’s arrest was legal and free of malice. The court noted that the CBI had acted within the bounds of law, emphasising concerns that Kejriwal, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo, could potentially influence witnesses, who reportedly felt secure enough to come forward only after his detention. The high court had advised Kejriwal to seek regular bail through the trial court.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, urgently mentioned the plea before a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Singhvi highlighted that bail pleas of other accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were already scheduled for hearing.

Chief Justice Chandrachud assured that he would review the matter. The appeal was filed by Kejriwal’s legal team, including lawyer Vivek Jain.