The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may formally register the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday in the excise policy case, a day after its officials visited the AAP convenor at Tihar jail to record his statement. This comes as the Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal.
The agency officials had questioned Kejriwal in jail number 2 on Tuesday around 11.30 am. The agency will produce the Delhi Chief Minister trial court for Wednesday.
#WATCH | Delhi: Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal brought to Rouse Avenue Court. He will be produced by CBI for a hearing in the liquor policy case. pic.twitter.com/8Aokm7RNfG
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2024
Kejriwal was formally under judicial custody since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, 2024.
The AAP has protested the CBI's questioning. The party's legal team posted on X. The "dirty tricks of the Modi government fears the release of Arvind Kejriwal by SC has asked to CBI to make arrest in the same matter almost a year after he joined the investigation. What it shows is that nothing changed the vindictive mindset of BJ. Shame."
The party also plans to challenge the Delhi HC order in the Supreme Court. Though Kejriwal filed an appeal in the top court against the High Court order, the top court said that it would be appropriate to wait for the final order, which is to be pronounced by the High Court in a day or two.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called the HC order very unusual, stating that the HC stayed the bail without reading the order of the trial court. "It is very unusual that without reading the order of the trial court, Delhi High Court stayed the court order granting bail to Kejriwal…We will make a legal strategy regarding it," the senior leader said.
Staying the order granting Kejriwal bail, a vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said the trial court failed to appreciate the material placed before it by the ED and did not apply its mind while deciding the AAP leader's bail plea. The judge also said the trial court ought to have given adequate opportunity to the agency to argue its case.
