NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a liquor policy-linked corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The top court, however, issued a notice to CBI on the petition filed by Kejriwal, seeking bail in connection with the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also issued a notice on a separate petition filed by Kejriwal, challenging his arrest by the CBI in the same case.
The Delhi Liquor Policy scam case has been a major political controversy, with the CBI alleging irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the liquor policy in Delhi.
Kejriwal’s legal team has challenged both the validity of his arrest and the merits of the case against him.
Earlier in June this year, the CBI had arrested Kejriwal from Delhi’s Tihar Jail, where he was lodged in a money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam.
He was arrested by the CBI hours before a crucial Supreme Court hearing in the money laundering case pursued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
During today’s hearing, the AAP chief’s lawyer argued that the CBI arrest was “insurance arrest” and demanded interim bail, citing the top court’s recent verdict in Manish Sisodia case.
Sisodia, a key Kejriwal aide and former Delhi deputy CM, was granted bail in both the CBI and ED cases related to Liquor policy. He was allowed to walk out of jail after 17 months.
However, the court refused to grant Kejriwal any interim relief, and issued notice to the CBI.
“We are not granting any interim bail. We will issue notice,” the bench informed senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who was representing Kejriwal.
The matter will next be heard on August 23.
Agencies
Setback to Kejriwal: SC refuses to grant him interim bail, issues notice to CBI
