SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea challenging arrest by CBI on Wednesday

New Delhi, August 13: The Supreme Court is slated to hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the CBI in the alleged liquor policy scam on Wednesday. As per the cause list published on the official portal of the apex court, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan will also consider CM Kejriwal’s bail plea in the corruption case. On August 5, the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea filed by the AAP supremo against his arrest by the CBI and asked him to approach a trial court for interim bail.

In its impugned decision, the bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the Delhi High Court said that it cannot be said that the arrest was without any justifiable reasons or that it was illegal. On Monday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned CM Kejriwal’s petitions before Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud for urgent listing. In response, CJI Chandrachud assured the senior counsel of urgent listing of the matter and asked him to send an email to the apex court registry. “Send an email, I will examine it,” the CJI said. The Delhi High Court is yet to pronounce its decision on a bail plea filed by CM Kejriwal in connection with the CBI case. Before it reserved its verdict on July 29, the CBI had filed its charge-sheet before a special court here against the AAP supremo and other accused persons in the excise policy case.

The ED had already filed its prosecution complaint in the money laundering case, naming AAP and its national convenor Kejriwal as accused. On July 12, the Supreme Court ordered CM Kejriwal to be released on interim bail in connection with the money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, he was not able to walk out of jail since he was arrested by the CBI. Meanwhile, a court here has extended the judicial custody of CM Kejriwal till August 20 in the excise policy case.