New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the PMLA case related to the Delhi Excise Policy Scam. The matter has now been referred to a larger bench for a comprehensive hearing on his regular bail.
The larger bench will deliberate on the necessity of Kejriwal’s arrest, a point raised by his lawyers who argued that his detention was unwarranted. The Supreme Court acknowledged that the necessity of arrest should have been considered by the investigating officer.
The three-judge bench will ultimately decide whether to grant Kejriwal regular bail. Despite the interim relief, Kejriwal remains in jail due to a separate arrest by the CBI in the same case. The CBI is expected to file a chargesheet against him within twenty days.
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Vivek Jain, the advocate representing the Delhi CM, stated, “The larger bench will take the final call regarding the regular bail. Interim bail has been granted by the apex court. The Supreme Court noted that the necessity of arrest should have been considered by the official investigation.”
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Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy Scam and lodged in jail no. 2. He was recently released on interim bail by the Supreme Court to participate in election campaigns. Following the expiry of his interim bail, Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar Jail and subsequently moved a fresh bail plea before the trial court, which was granted after arguments.
The ED has so far conducted searches at 245 locations across the country, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai. Fifteen individuals, including AAP members Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Vijay Nair, have been arrested in connection with the case. The ED has filed one Prosecution Complaint and five Supplementary Complaints in the matter.