The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its judgement in the petition filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Excise Policy case.
The Bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, after going through the written records of the case, directed the national agency to submit a chart to show what new evidence had emerged after the arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to justify its decision to arrest Kejriwal.
The Apex Court granted liberty to Kejriwal to apply for bail in the meantime.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.
ED had arrested Kejriwal on allegations of being actively involved in the now-scrapped excise policy of 2021-22, which was aimed to benefit certain liquor sellers.
As per the allegations cast by the federal agency, the inducement received by the scam were used as a funding the election campaigns in Goa by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Delhi CM is not the sole accused in the case, as the former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, AAP Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha were all partners in the game.
Sanjay Singh was granted bail, however Sisodia and Kavitha remain in jail.
It is pertinent to note that later today, Kejriwal is due to be produced before a Delhi trial to consider if his remand should be extended.
.In the last hearing before the Apex Court,it was said that the court may consider whether Kejriwal should be released in interim bail since the Lok Sabha Elections.
The Bench comprising of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta during the last meeting said that they would like to hear the hear arguments for interim bail as the final relief would take some time.