Last week, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case and referred the petition challenging the ED’s arrest to a larger bench. (Image: PTI)
Speaking to News18, AAP’s state unit committee in Delhi Gopal Rai said that even though both the courts – the high court and the apex court – have given relief to Arvind Kejriwal in the ED case, he is still in jail due to the CBI case.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi is hoping that its leader Arvind Kejriwal will be released from jail soon after returning to the chief minister in a case from the court and the apex court.
Speaking to News18, AAP’s state unit committee in Delhi, Gopal Rai said that while both courts – the court and the apex court – have given relief to Kejriwal in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, he is still in jail for the CBI case. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave its verdict on Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the excise policy case.
“When the BJP felt that the court had granted bail to Kejriwal and even the Supreme Court would do the same, they put the CBI case in between a day before the apex court heard the matter,” Rai said in Hindi.
He said that the facts presented before the trial court and the High Court were also before the HC and should consider the order, adding that the party supremo should be released from jail.
“They abused the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) and put him (Kejriwal) behind bars. Now, when the court tried to grant him bail under the act and the Supreme Court also gave him relief, he made a technical CBI case between them for make sure they stay in jail,” he said.
Rai asserted that the CBI was the first agency to question Kejriwal in April 2023 for nine hours. However, it remained quiet until June 26 this year when the CBI officially arrested the Delhi CM in the excise fraud case.
“The CBI case was added only to ensure that Kejriwal is not acquitted. If he had to ask, it would have been till now,” he said.
Rai added that no one believed that the incident was true. He said everyone knew that the arrest was politically motivated and “Kejriwal was arrested for causing trouble”.
“Many raids were conducted (by the authorities) but they were not found anywhere. They could not find a single penny in the leader’s house,” the AAP leader said.
Kejriwal has been in jail since March 21 when the ED arrested him in connection with allegations that he, along with others, conspired to manipulate the state’s excise policy to unfairly benefit certain liquor vendors.
Last week, the Supreme Court granted interim relief in the Delhi excise policy case and referred the petition challenging the arrest by the ED to a larger bench.
The court said that Kejriwal has been “imprisoned for 90 days”, adding that he is an elected leader. In May, the apex court granted a two-week interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to jail on June 2.
On June 20, the court granted him bail in the money laundering case, but the order was upheld by the high court a day later. The trial court said the ED had failed to provide direct evidence linking Kejriwal to the proceeds of the crime, adding that several persons known to the applicant were involved in the offence. ED then moved to HC which stayed the order.
The Delhi government introduced a new excise policy in November 2021 and repealed it in July 2022, days after lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena suggested the CBI should open an inquiry into it. In August 2022, the agency filed an FIR, and a few days later, the ED jumped in and filed a money laundering case.
Rai then said that the party is waiting for Kejriwal’s return and future plans will be made when he is released from jail. Delhi is scheduled to hold assembly elections next year as the current government ends in February 2025.
Rai, who was also a cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government, added that in his leader’s absence, his priority was to ensure that the work in Delhi did not stop and that it should be done as soon as possible. Development work, which was affected by the Lok Sabha polls and the model code of conduct, was given importance, he added.
It is also important to note that Kejriwal’s deputy in the government, Manish Sisodia, has been in jail since February 2023. He was first arrested by the CBI and then the ED in a corruption and money laundering case against him in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court sought response from the ED and CBI on the bail petition. The matter will be heard on July 29.