Delhi court extends Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody in CBI case after SC’s interim bail in ED excise policy matter

Hours after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faced a setback on Friday as Delhi Rouse Avenue Court extended his judicial custody till July 25 in a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Both cases are similar yet different. They pertain to the alleged irregularities in the formation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

However, Kejriwal's case in the Supreme Court challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case related to the excise policy. Meanwhile, the CBI case, heard in Delhi court on Friday, concerns the alleged corruption related to the excise policy “scam.”

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to the Delhi Chief Minister in the excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna referred to his petition challenging his arrest by the ED to a larger bench.

"The Supreme Court has granted him interim bail, and the issue of Section 19 and necessity of arrest has been referred to a larger bench. CM Kejriwal will remain in custody as his bail in the CBI case is still pending. This is a big victory," Kejriwal's lawyer, Rishikesh Kumar, told newswire ANI.

While granting interim bail to Kejriwal, the Supreme Court observed that the Delhi Chief Minister suffered incarceration for 90 days, and the court is conscious that he is an elected leader.

The ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. He was later arrested by the CBI on June 26 in connection with the corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam.