Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody extended till July 12 in excise policy case

A court in Delhi on Wednesday, July 3, extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until July 12 in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22. Arvind Kejriwal had appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court through video conferencing.

The court also reserved its orders on Kejriwal’s plea seeking the presence of his wife during the medical consultations with the special board constituted by AIIMS under the court's orders on April 22. The court will pronounce its orders on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

Earlier on Saturday, the Delhi chief minister was sent to judicial custody till July 12 following a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had arrested Kejriwal on June 26.

Delhi HC Bail Application

Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

His counsel, Rajat Bharadwaj, urged the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, alleging that Kejriwal was taken into illegal custody without complying with Section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

As the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, the court said, “Let the learned judge go through the papers. We will have it day after.”

The high court agreed to hear the bail application on Friday.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Delhi chief minister, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court's order was stayed by the high court.

It is important to note that the controversial excise policy was scrapped in 2022 following an order by the Delhi lieutenant governor, who ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.