Today, the Supreme Court of India has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The court is currently hearing his plea challenging the arrest and detention by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged excise policy scam.
Arvind Kejriwal will remain in custody as he is currently held in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The bench of Supreme Court justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has referred Arvind Kejriwal’s petition to a larger bench to consider whether the requirement for arrest should be interpreted as a precondition under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The court also referred Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to a larger bench. During the hearing on Kejriwal’s bail plea, the SC also said that the court cannot direct an elected representative to step down and that the decision must be made by the CM himself.
The case revolves around accusations of funds being illicitly funneled to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) through hawala channels, with discussions between Kejriwal and hawala operators cited as evidence. Kejriwal, who received interim bail, contends that his arrest was politically motivated, coinciding with the announcement of the General Elections.
This is a developing story.