Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the corruption case related to the Delhi Excise Policy on the eve of his Supreme Court hearing regarding bail in the associated money laundering case. The CBI took Kejriwal into custody from Tihar Jail, where he has been lodged since June 2.
This dramatic development comes just hours before the Supreme Court was set to hear Kejriwal’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s stay on his bail granted by a trial court. The Delhi High Court had recently stayed the trial court’s order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, citing that the trial judge had not properly appreciated the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) case and materials.
Kejriwal was initially arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the alleged money laundering case stemming from the Delhi Excise Policy. The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail in May for 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, after which he surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities on June 2.
The CBI’s arrest in the corruption case adds a new layer of complexity to Kejriwal’s legal battles, potentially impacting his bail prospects in the money laundering case. The timing of this arrest, just before the Supreme Court hearing, is likely to intensify the political and legal drama surrounding the Delhi Chief Minister’s case.