Delhi chief minister released on bail in liquor scam case
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and a key opposition leader, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday. Kejriwal was jailed in March, a month before the parliamentary elections, over his alleged involvement in a liquor excise scam. The policy in question, which was eventually scrapped, had come under scrutiny for various procedural violations.
Kejriwal, who leads the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has not been convicted. He challenged his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and sought bail, insisting that he was the victim of a conspiracy led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The AAP is a key member of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), spearheaded by the Congress party. “Ultimately, truth has won,” the AAP posted on X after the bail was announced.
Despite being imprisoned, Kejriwal has continued serving as the chief minister of the capital, which enjoys a special status under the constitution and has its own elected legislative assembly and government. The court has placed certain restrictions on his activities, including a prohibition on making any public statements regarding the case and mandatory court appearances. He is also barred from visiting his office or the Delhi Secretariat while out on bail.
The bench consisting of two judges noted that Kejriwal had been detained for six months without a trial, maintaining that “prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty.” However, the bench appeared to be split on the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI, according to a report by the outlet Live Law.
Notably, Kejriwal’s release comes weeks ahead of assembly elections in northern India’s Haryana state, which is ruled by the BJP. The AAP heads the governments in Delhi and Punjab and is considered a major political force in northern India. Sushil Gupta, the chief of the AAP in Haryana, has confirmed that Kejriwal will campaign for the party ahead of the election. “We will now fight the polls with double energy,’ Gupta has said, as reported by The Hindu.
Political leaders across the country have welcomed the court’s order. The Congress party, however, noted that it was merely a “procedural bail” and not an “acquittal” in the case. “We see it as a part of the judicial process, and the charges have not been dismissed. The final verdict is still awaited,” said Congress spokesperson Alok Sharma.
In May, Kejriwal was granted a 21-day long temporary bail – to campaign for his party ahead of the general elections. He returned to pre-trail detention on June 2.
