SC grants interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in money-laundering case

SC grants interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in money-laundering case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in a money-laundering case linked to excise policy ‘scam’. However, despite the interim bail granted to him, Kejriwal will continue to be in Tihar Jail as he has also been arrested by the CBI in a corruption case related to the excise policy scam.
Arvind Kejriwal. PTI file

A Bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta referred certain legal issues with regard to arrest of an accused under Section 19 and Section 45 of the PMLA to the larger Bench. Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Khanna made it clear that his regular bail plea would be decided on merit.

The top court asked Kejriwal to furnish bail bonds of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the Tihar Jail superintendent and restrained from visiting the Chief Minister’s Office and Delhi Secretariat.

It directed him not to sign official files unless it’s required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Delhi L-G. It also restrained him from commenting on his role in the money-laundering case against him and asked him not to interact with witnesses and/or have access to official files connected with the case.

The court delivered its verdict on the Delhi chief minister’s petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The Bench had on May 17 reserved its verdict on Kejriwal’s petition challenging the April 9 order of the Delhi High Court upholding his arrest in the case.

Arrested on March 21 by the ED, Kejriwal was released on a 21-day interim bail by the top court on May 10 to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. He surrendered on June 2.

Delhi Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu had on June 20 ordered Kejriwal’s release, saying the ED failed to give any direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of the crime and that the probe agency failed to show that co-accused Vijay Nair was acting on his behalf. She had also said that the ED was acting with bias against the Delhi chief minister.

However, the Delhi High Court stayed the bail granted to Kejriwal the very next day. Later, in a detailed judgment, the high court termed Bindu’s order “perverse”. On June 26, Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the excise policy scam. He has also challenged before the high court his arrest by the CBI.