August 14, 2024: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will review a request from Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, for his release from jail regarding the Delhi excise policy case. The highest court will also consider Kejriwal's request challenging the Delhi high court decision supporting his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case related to the purported excise policy scam. Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan will hear two petitions filed by Kejriwal.
On August 5, the Delhi high court stated that Kejriwal's arrest was justified as CBI had sufficient evidence to support it.The AAP supremo was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024 in connection to irregularities in an excise policy scam case. He was later released on bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. Yet, the high court halted the trial court's order.
In his plea, submitted two days after the Supreme Court released former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on bail in a connected investigation by CBI and ED, Kejriwal questioned his detention and subsequent custody orders, and also requested for bail. Kejriwal's argument heavily leaned on the Sisodia case ruling, asserting that the reasons for granting bail to Sisodia should also be valid for him.
The excise policy was canceled in 2022 following the Delhi lieutenant governor's decision to initiate a CBI investigation into reported irregularities and corruption during its creation and implementation. During their inquiry, CBI and the ED discovered discrepancies in the alteration of the policy, leading to special treatment for license holders.