Delhi High Court issues notice to CBI on Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in Delhi Excise Policy Case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail application in a corruption case tied to the excise policy "scam." Justice Neena Bansal Krishna has requested the central agency's response and scheduled the next hearing for July 17. The judge acknowledged the CBI's argument that Mr. Kejriwal should have first sought bail from a trial court.

"Notice accepted. The petitioner has directly approached the High Court; this contention will be addressed during the arguments," Justice Krishna stated in her order.

Senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing the Chief Minister, argued that both the High Court and trial court possess concurrent authority to consider a bail plea under Section 439 of the CrPC. He described the CBI's stance as an avoidance tactic.

The AAP leader has already contested his arrest in the CBI case, and this challenge is pending in the High Court. On June 26, Special Judge Amitabh Rawat placed Mr. Kejriwal in three-day CBI custody, deeming the arrest "not illegal" but warning the agency against being "overzealous." Subsequently, on June 29, the Chief Minister was remanded to judicial custody until July 12 as his CBI custody concluded.

The excise policy was discontinued in 2022 following the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's directive for a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption in its creation and implementation. The CBI and ED assert that irregularities occurred during the modification of the policy, with undue advantages granted to license holders. Additionally, the AAP leader is accused of diverting profits from the policy to fund the AAP's campaign for the Goa Assembly election.