The Supreme Court deferred hearing on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pleas against the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the liquor policy case to September 5. The apex court directed the CBI to file affidavits on Kejriwal’s pleas by then.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader challenged his arrest by the central agency and also sought bail in the prevention of corruption case registered in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan deferred the hearing after CBI sought further time to file counter affidavits.
The Delhi CM was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in a connected case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate on July 12, but continues to languish in Tihar prison due to the CBI’s case.
The ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with an alleged scam in the scrapped Delhi liquor policy. The CBI arrested him from Tihar prison on June 26 in a prevention of corruption case registered in connection with the alleged scam.
The Court recently granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the cases. Besides the AAP leaders, BRS leader K. Kavitha is also facing charges in the case.
The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which has now been scrapped.
