Delhi: Oppn lauds SC bail to Kejriwal, calls CBI arrest ‘insurance’ to keep CM in jail

Leaders of opposition parties including the AAP on Friday (July 12) welcomed the Supreme Court’s grant of bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked with the excise policy case filed by the ED.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, however, will continue to remain in jail as his judicial custody after arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case, has been extended to July 25.

On June 27 the CBI had arrested Kejriwal in the same case, moments before the Supreme Court was slated to hear his bail plea in the case being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED).

‘Insurance arrest by CBI’

Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said he had termed the CBI’s sudden move to take Kejriwal into custody when he was on the brink of getting bail in the ED case, an “insurance arrest”, as it showed the government motive to keep the Delhi chief minister in jail.

“After #Kejriwal’s CBI arrest, I called it “insurance arrest” ie knowing our arguments & weakness of theirs, govt apprehended adverse order (as came Frm sc today) and hence CBI arrested AK after one full year, after interrogating him one yr ago & while he was in #ED custody!!” Singhvi posted on X.

Delhi minister Atishi echoed similar sentiments, accusing the BJP of sending the CBI as part of a Plan B to keep Kejriwal in jail as part of a “fake” case.

“After the Rouse Avenue Court, today the Supreme Court also granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal. This proves that the investigation into the liquor scam is completely fake and it is a conspiracy of the BJP. This is a conspiracy of the BJP to stop the work of the people of Delhi. That is why the Chief Minister elected by the people was put in jail in a fake case without any evidence,” she posted on X.

“BJP knew that after Rouse Avenue Court, Arvind Kejriwal will get bail from Supreme Court as well in ED case, hence they got him arrested a day before the hearing by their another political weapon CBI. I would like to tell BJP to end its pride and arrogance and stop plotting against democracy. Because truth can be troubled but not defeated,” Atishi said.

‘Big lesson for govt’

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s bail, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it a “big lesson” for the Centre, while warning the government that its pride will be shattered further if it continues to act arbitrarily.

“First, Judge Nyay Bindu granted bail in the ED case, and now the country’s biggest court has granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal,” Bharadwaj posted on X.

“The court has taught a big lesson to the central BJP government. If the centre still acts arbitrarily, the pride will be further shattered,” he added.

Bail not a relief from crime: BJP

The BJP, however, took swipes at the AAP, stating that interim bail should not be considered “a relief from the crime one has committed”.

“Interim bail is not a relief from the crime that one has committed. Interim bail provides for one to stay out of jail as the case proceeds. But it doesn’t mean that Arvind Kejriwal has not done a scam, that he was not involved in corruption….perhaps the Supreme Court has allowed him to be out and work as the people of Delhi are suffering. But the court has not acquitted him,” said BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat.

Why is CM in jail despite bail?

On Friday, hours after the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal bail in the ED case, a Delhi court extended his judicial custody till July 25 in the corruption case linked to the excise policy scam being probed by the CBI.

Kejriwal was produced through video conferencing before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja.

He appeared in connection with the CBI and ED cases on the expiry of his judicial custody.

In May, the ED had filed its seventh supplementary charge sheet in the case, naming Kejriwal and AAP as accused.

The court had issued a production warrant for Kejriwal and AAP on Tuesday after taking cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet.