NEW DELHI: In a dramatic turn at the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna questioned the Enforcement Directorate about the purpose of its appeal against the bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, following the Supreme Court’s interim bail order in a money laundering case related to the excise policy.
Justice Krishna expressed scepticism, questioning whether allowing the ED’s petition would lead to Kejriwal’s re-arrest, to which the ED’s counsel assured that no such action was planned and that Kejriwal’s previous arrest had not been deemed unlawful.
The judge also expressed confusion over the nature of the applications before her, saying, “The applications are so intricately drafted that I am unsure whether they pertain to bail, illegal custody, or compensation.”
The SC had granted interim bail to Kejriwal on July 12 and referred the case to a larger bench to review issues related to the necessity of arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. However, Kejriwal remains in custody in connection with a separate corruption case related to the excise scam.
The ED had requested an adjournment for a hearing on Thursday, citing the absence of their additional solicitor general. However, the court denied this request, criticising the agency for repeatedly seeking adjournments.
On June 20, Kejriwal was granted bail by a trial court, but the ED’s challenge led to an interim stay of this order on June 21. The high court subsequently issued a notice and sought Kejriwal’s response to the ED’s petition. The case is now scheduled for a hearing on September 5.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED and the CBI on March 21 and June 26 in the money laundering and corruption cases. The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor
ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.