Timeline of Kejriwal's arrests, bail pleas in excise policy case
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case on Friday. The verdict was delivered by a two-judge bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan. This decision comes after Kejriwal filed two petitions—one challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and another opposing his bail denial.
Kejriwal's arrest and interim bail
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy, making him as the first serving CM to be arrested. This came after he refused to comply with nine summonses from the agency, which he considered "illegal." Ahead of the general elections, the SC granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, with certain conditions, stating that he "doesn't have any criminal antecedents" and is "not a threat to society."
Kejriwal's surrender and formal arrest
On June 2, a day after his interim bail expired, Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar Jail. Later that month, the CBI formally arrested him in a corruption case linked to the alleged scam. Special Judge Amitabh Rawat allowed the CBI to formally arrest Kejriwal, who was already in custody due to the ED case. While the ED case investigates an alleged money trail, the CBI case seeks to prove corruption and bribe-taking by public servants.
Kejriwal's interim bail and subsequent challenges
On July 12, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the ED case, questioning the legality and necessity of his March arrest. However, he remained in custody in the CBI case. The following month, Delhi High Court upheld CBI's decision to arrest Kejriwal and directed him to approach trial court for bail. In response, Kejriwal challenged this order at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reserved its decision on Kejriwal's bail plea and CBI arrest challenge on September 5.
Supreme Court's final verdict on Kejriwal's bail
On September 13, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal bail in the CBI case with a bail bond of ₹10 lakh. He was also directed not to make any public comments on the case. The court noted that trial completion is unlikely "to occur in immediate future" and concluded that Kejriwal "satisfies [triple] test for bail." Justice Bhuyan stated that the "CBI's appearance raises more questions than it answers."
