The AAP chief was arrested by in June in connection with the now-withdrawn Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday posted for January 17, 2025 the hearing on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against bail granted to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.
The ED counsel urged the court to defer the hearing on account of the unavailability of Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju.
The request was opposed by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, representing the AAP chief, citing “pressing urgency” in the matter.
Mr. Chaudhary said the agency should withdraw its plea and the court should vacate its stay on the operation of the trial court’s order granting bail to Mr. Kejriwal.
“You can’t have a sword hanging on my head,” the AAP chief’s counsel argued.
The ED counsel, however, said that the former CM is already out on bail pursuant to an order passed by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Kejriwal was granted bail by a trial court on June 20 on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh. However, the order was stayed by the High Court. On July 12, he was given relief by the apex court.
The AAP chief was arrested by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 21 and June 26 respectively, in the money laundering and corruption cases stemming from the now-withdrawn excise policy for 2021-22.
The policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Lieutenant-Governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.
According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.
Published – December 12, 2024 12:41 am IST