Delhi High Court has stayed the trial court order granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to an alleged excise policy “scam”. Delhi High Court said that it will pass the order on the ED plea in two to three days.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has challenged the order of Rouse Avenue court on granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy. ED has challenged the order dated June 20, 2024, passed by Special Judge (Vacation Judge), Rouse Avenue District Courts that granted bail to Kejriwal. The trial court said in the bail order that ED has failed to give any direct evidence against the applicant (Kejriwal) in respect of the proceeds of the crime.

ED in its petition has said that the June 20 order granting regular bail to Kejriwal was passed without granting an adequate opportunity for hearing to the ED and without considering that in light of the facts of the present case where all courts up to the Supreme Court have given judicial imprimatur to the fact that the offense of money laundering has been committed and hence regular bail in light of the mandatory twin conditions under Section 45 of the PMLA could not have been granted. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case relating to alleged irregularities in the now-canceled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

The Delhi Chief Minister was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 given Lok Sabha polls and was told to surrender on June 2. He was asked not to visit the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat. The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed his plea for release from jail and rejected his argument of political vendetta amid the Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)