In the ongoing Excise Policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody has been extended until August 27, 2024, by the Rouse Avenue Court. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja set this date for the next hearing, during which the court will also review the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) supplementary chargesheet against Kejriwal and others.
Senior Advocate DP Singh represented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter. This extension follows recent developments where the Supreme Court issued a notice to the CBI on Kejriwal's bail plea. The Chief Minister has challenged the Delhi High Court's decision that upheld his arrest in the corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
The Supreme Court, in its recent session, refused to grant interim bail to Kejriwal despite his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi's request based on health grounds.
Singhvi argued that since Kejriwal had previously been granted interim bail in a money laundering case under stringent conditions, he should also receive bail in the current CBI case, which does not involve the same stringent conditions.
On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest as legal, dismissing his plea that challenged the arrest. The court noted that the CBI's action followed sufficient evidence and proper sanction obtained in April 2024.
The High Court emphasised that Kejriwal's significant influence and status as a prominent political figure could potentially affect witnesses, which justified the CBI's decision to proceed with the arrest.
Kejriwal had been arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. Later, on June 26, 2024, he was arrested by the CBI while still in ED custody.