The CBI arrested Kejriwal on June 26 while he was in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the same scam.
He and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders are accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to create loopholes in the Delhi Excise Policy to favour some liquor sellers. The investigation agencies have alleged that the funds garnered from this exercise were used to fund the AAP’s election campaign in Goa.
He was first arrested by ED on March 26, but was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case.
However, he continues to remain in jail since he is yet to get bail in the CBI case.
Kejriwal had filed two separate petitions before the High Court – one seeking bail and another challenging his arrest by the CBI.
The High Court rejected the plea to quash the arrest.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said that there were adequate grounds to arrest Kejriwal.
As regards bail, the Court did not pronounce on the merits but asked Kejriwal to move the trial court instead.
Kejriwal had approached the High Court directly for bail.
Kejriwal has challenged both these aspects before the Supreme Court.
In his plea seeking bail, Kejriwal has said the High Court abdicated its function by relegating the matter to the trial though it has concurrent jurisdiction to decide the bail plea.
The Supreme Court had recently granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, in connection with the same case.
It had taken critical note of the fact that High Courts and trial courts appeared to be “playing it safe” when they routinely deny bail in criminal cases instead of granting bail as the norm.
Source: Barandbench
