In a major setback for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court dismissed his plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi excise policy case. The decision was delivered by a bench led by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who observed that the CBI’s actions were not without “justifiable reasons”.
The high court ruled that Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI could not be deemed illegal. “It cannot be said that the arrest was without any justifiable reasons or illegal,” stated the bench. Consequently, Kejriwal’s bail plea was also disposed of by the high court, although he was granted the liberty to approach the trial court for bail.
Arvind Kejriwal had approached the high court last month, challenging his arrest and remand by the CBI. In his plea, he also sought regular bail, arguing that his arrest violated the guidelines established by the Supreme Court in the Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar case, as well as Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The CBI had arrested Kejriwal shortly after he secured bail in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering case related to the same Delhi excise policy issue. However, the court later put his bail order on hold.
During subsequent hearings, the CBI described Arvind Kejriwal as the “sutradhar” or the main facilitator of the alleged scam. CBI’s lawyer DP Singh informed the court that the agency had found additional evidence implicating Kejriwal in the case.
The CBI submitted that Kejriwal, as the head of the Cabinet, had signed the excise policy and ensured its circulation among his colleagues, obtaining their signatures within a single day.
The CBI further argued that an IAS officer under Manish Sisodia, C. Aravind, had testified that Vijay Nair brought a copy of the excise policy to be entered into the computer, with Kejriwal present at that time. This testimony, according to the CBI, indicated Kejriwal’s direct involvement in the matter.
The dismissal of Kejriwal’s plea marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Delhi excise policy case. The AAP chief now faces a legal battle ahead as he prepares to approach the trial court for bail.
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