Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's lawyer argued that the Aam Aadmi Party leader was the most captive interrogatee in the probe into alleged liquor policy scam and said his arrest by the CBI was an 'insurance' to prevent his release from prison.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan is hearing the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s bail plea. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, argued that the CBI’s was an ‘insurance arrest’. He argue Kejriwal was the most captive interrogatee. “The only point of arrest was to have insurance if Kejriwal wins in the Enforcement Directorate’s case. The imminence of Kerjiwal committing further offence was minus, not zero. He was found fit for release by Supreme Court two times,” argued Singhvi, Live Law reported.
Singhvi said no notice was served to Kejriwal by the CBI before the arrest and an ex-parte arrest order was passed by the trial court. He added Kejriwal is a constitutional functionary and was not a flight risk.
Singhvi said Kejriwal was not named in the CBI FIR and moreover, he is not a flight risk.
Singhvi added every possible co-accused in the case has been released on bail, including former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K. Kavitha.
The ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with 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 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.
The apex court granted bail to Kejriwal in ED’s case on July 12, observing the AAP leader has been in prison for 90 days. However, he had to remain in prison as he was serving remand in CBI’s case. The Supreme Court had also granted interim bail to Kejriwal during the Lok Sabha polls for campaigning.
