In the alleged liquor policy case, Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court by the CBI and an hour later he withdrew a Supreme Court petition challenging a stay on grant of bail in the same case after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in March.
Corruption claims led to the CBI taking Kejriwal into custody. This was because of his involvement in 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy that saw him embroiled in a money laundering case for which he was later bailed out. Consequently, this policy was recalled. The profit margin had been increased from 5% to 12% for wholesalers as one of the adjustments made during the exchange of bribes for favours sought under this regime.
Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh, representing the CBI, highlighted the necessity of taking formal custody of Kejriwal to properly interrogate him regarding these allegations. This development follows a recent stay by the Delhi High Court on a trial court order that had granted Kejriwal bail in a related money laundering case.
After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenged the trial court’s bail order because it was “perverse” and “one-sided”, The High Court rendered their verdict. In their argument, they pointed that the trial court had not given them a proper chance to forward their case, and it had not analyzed the evidence presented against Kejriwal thoroughly.
Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain of the Delhi High Court criticized the trial court for not appropriately appreciating the material and documents submitted by the ED. The High Court emphasized that courts are obligated to give all parties sufficient opportunity to present their cases. In this instance, the trial judge did not adequately discuss the “twin condition” requirement under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) when granting bail to Kejriwal.
The High Court’s 34-page order underscored that the trial court failed to thoroughly evaluate the ED’s arguments and written submissions. Consequently, the High Court stayed the trial court’s bail order, ensuring that Kejriwal remains in custody while the investigation continues.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Kejriwal affirming their innocence, has consistently disregarded these allegations as being politically motivated. Despite all the investigations, they claim ED has not found anything solid concerning these bribery claims they were talking about. As this major case remains pending, it prevents Kejriwal from growing politically and from governing Delhi properly.
