No Relief for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, High Court Stays Bail Order

In a big setback for Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the trail court’s order granting bail to him in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam.

A single judge Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain remarked that the trial court had not properly considered the evidence presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and and did not apply its mind while deciding the Delhi chief minister’s bail plea.

The judge further emphasized that the trial court should have provided sufficient opportunity for the agency to present its arguments.

“The operation of the impugned order is stayed,” the bench stated.

On June 20, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court had granted bail to the AAP convenor and directed his release upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.

The next day, ED approached the Delhi high court, arguing that the trial court’s order was “perverse,” “one-sided,” and “wrong-sided,” contending that the conclusions were based on irrelevant facts.

The excise policy was annulled in 2022 following a CBI investigation ordered by the Delhi lieutenant governor into alleged irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution.

As per both the CBI and the ED, irregularities occurred during the modification of the excise policy and undue favors were granted to license holders.

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