CBI questions admissibility of Kejriwal’s bail plea in Supreme Court – ThePrint – PTIFeed

New Delhi, Sept 5 (PTI) – Questioning the credibility of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail applications and contesting his arrest, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that he should have first approached the trial court for bail in the corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Deputy Attorney General SV Raju, representing the central agency, submitted before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan that even in the money laundering case, Kejriwal, who had challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was sent back to the trial court by the Supreme Court.

The law officer said the CBI had not served any notice under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code on Kejriwal as he was already in judicial custody.

Earlier, Kejriwal had told the Supreme Court that the CBI had not arrested him for nearly two years in the alleged excise policy scam, but on June 26, an “insurance arrest” was made after he was released on bail in the “tougher” money laundering case filed by the ED.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the chief minister, told the court that Kejriwal had not received any notice from the CBI before his arrest and that the court had issued an interim arrest warrant.

Singhvi demanded bail for the embattled Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, arguing that Kejriwal was a constitutional functionary and posed no risk of absconding.

Singhvi said Kejriwal was also not named in the CBI FIR.

The senior counsel pointed out that while the Supreme Court had granted him interim bail in the money laundering case, it had also stated that the Prime Minister did not pose a threat to society.

“What started in August 2023 led to his arrest in the money laundering case in March this year,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court and a court of first instance had already granted him bail.

The hearing is still ongoing.

Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the Delhi High Court's denial of bail and his arrest by the CBI.

The AAP chief was arrested by the CBI on June 26.

On August 14, the Supreme Court refused to grant Kejriwal interim bail and asked the investigating agency to respond to his petition challenging his arrest.

The Delhi High Court on August 5 upheld his arrest as lawful and said that the CBI's actions were not malicious, showing how the AAP chief could influence witnesses who only mustered the courage to testify after his arrest.

The Supreme Court had asked him to seek bail in the CBI case.

The excise policy was abolished in 2022 after the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi ordered a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption related to its formulation and implementation.

According to CBI and ED, irregularities occurred in the change in excise policy and unjustified concessions were given to licensees. PTI PKS DV PKS SK SK

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