No Relief For Arvind Kejriwal, Supreme Court Denies Interim Bail To Delhi CM In CBI Case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant immediate interim relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the CBI case related to the excise policy.

A Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant issued a notice to the CBI seeking their response to Kejriwal's bail plea. The Court will hear the bail plea on August 23.

"We are not granting any interim bail. We will issue notice," the bench told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Delhi CM Kejriwal.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court after the apex court granted bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a related probe by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kejriwal challenged his arrest and sought bail.

In his petition, Kejriwal also contested the Delhi High Court's August 5 judgment, which ruled that his arrest was neither illegal nor unjustified, as the CBI had presented "evidently enough evidence" to warrant his detention and remand.

According to reports, Kejriwal's plea heavily relies on the Sisodia verdict, in which the Supreme Court held that the former Deputy Chief Minister's arrest, in a case with no immediate prospect of trial, impinged on his fundamental right to liberty and a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Kejriwal's petition argued that the same grounds apply to his case.

Kejriwal was arrested in March this year and has since been lodged in Tihar Jail. He was released for 21 days during the Lok Sabha election after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail to campaign for his party.