26.06.2024 – Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to CBI remand for three days. He is required to appear again before 7 PM on June 29. This follows a decision by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, which stated that a detailed inquiry into the case is necessary, leading to the stay of the lower court’s decision.
Kejriwal Case Background:
On Tuesday, June 25, the Delhi High Court ruled that a thorough investigation was needed, upholding the lower court’s decision. The High Court announced its verdict, which led to Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI on Wednesday.
Earlier, CM Kejriwal had defended his bail order in a written argument submitted on Monday. He stated that releasing him would not negatively impact the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation, as he could be taken back into custody if the High Court later nullified the bail order.
Kejriwal argued that suspending the beneficial bail order would effectively mean accepting a petition to cancel the bail. Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain reserved the order on June 21 after the ED challenged the lower court’s decision. The High Court stayed the execution of the lower court’s judgment until its verdict.
Arvind Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21. He would have been released from Tihar Jail if not for the High Court granting interim relief to the ED. On June 20, the lower court granted bail to Kejriwal and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
The lower court imposed conditions on Kejriwal, including that he should not obstruct the investigation or influence witnesses. The ED argued that the trial court’s order was flawed, calling it “perverse” and “arbitrary,” based on irrelevant facts.
In a note filed on Monday, the ED claimed that the bail order did not consider Kejriwal’s deep involvement in the alleged excise scam. Kejriwal countered in his written plea that the ED’s claims were false and misleading, asserting that the bail order had been properly deliberated upon by the court.
Special Judge Bindu, acting as a vacation judge, granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case on June 20, stating that the ED had not presented direct evidence of crime proceeds. On June 21, the High Court stayed the execution of the bail order and asked for written arguments by June 24.
Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court to challenge the interim stay on his bail. The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing for his petition on June 26, waiting for the High Court’s order.
The Lieutenant Governor had ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption related to the Delhi Excise Policy, which was scrapped in 2022. The CBI and ED allege irregularities and undue benefits were given to license holders during the policy’s revision.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with this case.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Sent to CBI Remand for 3 Days https://t.co/Q6hnoo0NTw via @snapnews_24 #Arvind_Kejriwal #KejriwalExposedCBI
— Snap News (@snapnews_24) June 26, 2024
