On Friday, the Delhi High Court halted the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had been granted bail by a lower court in connection with a high-profile liquor corruption case. This development followed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) urgent appeal against the bail, made just hours before Kejriwal was due to be freed from Tihar Jail.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, contended that the agency had not been afforded the opportunity to present its arguments during the lower court proceedings. The High Court concurred, imposing an interim stay and asserting that the trial court’s order would be suspended until the petition was heard in full.
The lower court had sanctioned Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of ₹100,000 (£947), citing insufficient evidence provided by the ED since Kejriwal’s detention on 21st March. Nevertheless, the High Court’s suspension will ensure Kejriwal remains in custody while it scrutinises the case records over the coming days.
The ED’s investigation posits that Kejriwal was instrumental in creating loopholes within the now-void Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22, purportedly to favour certain liquor vendors. This ongoing probe has already resulted in the detention of other notable Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) figures, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh. While Singh is currently out on bail, Sisodia continues to be held in custody.
Kejriwal’s defence team maintains that the allegations are unfounded and driven by political motives. The High Court is set to re-examine the matter within the next 2-3 days, at which point a more definitive ruling is anticipated.
