Delhi court extends Kejriwal's custody, grants AAP's Durgesh Pathak bail
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak has been granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi in connection with the alleged excise policy case. The court set his bail bond at ₹1 lakh. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody was extended until September 25. The court issued summons and production warrants to accused persons after taking cognizance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
CBI to provide soft and hard copies of charge sheet
The CBI has informed the court that it will supply a soft copy of the charge sheet on Wednesday, with hard copies to be provided later. A list of un-relied documents will also be supplied at a later date. The Supreme Court had previously reserved its order on separate pleas by Kejriwal seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the CBI in the case.
Kejriwal's arrest and subsequent developments
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. He has since been in judicial custody at Tihar Jail. During a hearing on September 5, the bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, questioned the lengthy duration of the bail hearing. "Both sides we will hear. But we are wondering how long we should hear in a bail matter, do ordinary mortals get this much time," Justice Kant asked.
Kejriwal's lawyer argues for bail, challenges arrest
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the Delhi CM poses no threat in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case. He said that Kejriwal was not mentioned in the CBI FIR and is not a "flight risk." On August 14, the Supreme Court refused to grant interim bail to Kejriwal and sought a response from the probe agency on his plea challenging his arrest. The Delhi High Court upheld Kejriwal's arrest as legal on August 5.
