Delhi excise case: CBI obtains sanction to prosecute CM Arvind Kejriwal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said it has obtained sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in a corruption case related to the Delhi excise policy case.

The probe agency made the submission before a Delhi court’s special judge Kaveri Baweja.

Kejriwal's judicial custody in the case is scheduled to end on August 27.

On August 12, the court had granted 15 days to the CBI to get the requisite sanctions to prosecute Kejriwal and Pathak in the case.

The matter has been posted for next hearing on August 27.

In another development, the Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing on Kejriwal's pleas seeking bail and challenging the arrest by the CBI till September 5.

The SC bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the CBI to file its counter affidavit in the matter and gave two days' time to Kejriwal to file a rejoinder.

Kejriwal’s counsel Abhishek Singhvi said that the CBI filed a counter affidavit in only one of the pleas and it was served upon them at 8 pm on Thursday.

In reply, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju said that they will file the counter in another plea in one week.

The SC bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 5.

Kejriwal had filed two separate petitions challenging denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the case.

The apex court had on August 14 refused to grant interim bail to Kejriwal in the excise policy case and had sought a response from the CBI on his plea challenging his arrest.

The chief minister was arrested by the CBI on June 26.

On August 5, the Delhi High Court had upheld the Kejriwal’s arrest as legal, and said that there was no malice in the acts done by the CBI which was able to demonstrate how the AAP supremo could influence witnesses who could muster the courage to depose only after his arrest.