Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to be released from Tihar jail today after being granted bail by the Rouse Avenue court in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam.
Kejriwal’s legal team is expected to submit the bail bond of Rs 1 lakh to the court later today, after which he will be released. He has been in Tihar jail since June 2 following the end of his interim bail. Sources indicate that his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, is expected to visit the high-security prison at 4 PM today.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that it plans to file a plea in the Delhi High Court to challenge the bail granted to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. This follows the Rouse Avenue court’s dismissal of the agency’s request to delay the bail order by 48 hours, allowing them time to seek legal recourse.
The court has imposed specific conditions for Kejriwal’s bail, including not interfering with the investigation or influencing witnesses. The AAP chief has been instructed to appear before the court when required and to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court denied his request for protection from arrest in relation to summonses issued to him.
On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1 to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, requiring him to return to jail on June 2.
On June 5, the trial court denied his request for interim bail, which he sought due to various health issues.
During the hearing on Thursday, the ED claimed to have evidence of Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore in kickbacks related to the liquor policy case. The agency also alleged that these kickbacks from liquor vendors were used to finance AAP’s election campaign in Goa.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that there was a direct money trail linking proceeds of the crime from the South Group, involving BRS leader K Kavitha, to the AAP.
ASG Raju also alleged that Kejriwal refused to provide the password to his phone during the investigation.
“Kejriwal says my phone is sacrosanct. Mai password nahi dunga. (I will not give my password). We had to resort to the phone of Vinod Chauhan (accused in the case). He is sitting quiet. An adverse inference has to be drawn from the fact that Kejriwal has refused to give his password. This is a ground for refusing bail under ordinary bail law, forget section 45 PMLA for the time being,” ASG Raju said.
The ASG further claimed that Vinod Chauhan was involved in managing transfers and postings of Delhi government officials.
Kejriwal’s defense, led by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, argued that the ED’s allegations were unsubstantiated and lacked evidence.
Chaudhary also pointed out that Kejriwal had not been named in any chargesheet filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“Is ED an independent agency or playing in the hands of some political masters? The ED draws all its conclusions based on hypothesis,” Chaudhary said.
