AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal Secures Temporary Relief from the Supreme Court Amid Ongoing Investigations in in Delhi Liquor Policy Case
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case linked to the controversial Delhi liquor policy. However, he will remain in custody as he is currently being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a separate investigation.
Mr. Kejriwal, also the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. After more than 90 days in jail, the Supreme Court’s bench, consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, ruled in his favor, granting him interim bail.
In his petition, the 55-year-old challenged a previous Delhi High Court decision from April 9, which upheld his arrest and stated that the ED had little choice but to act after Mr. Kejriwal repeatedly skipped summons and failed to cooperate with the investigation.
The AAP welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating, “Satyamev Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs), alongside a photo of Mr. Kejriwal holding the national flag.
सत्यमेव जयते 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/dG5o2eHB0l
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 12, 2024
Both the ED and CBI are investigating the money laundering allegations surrounding the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. This policy, introduced in November 2021, allowed private companies to sell liquor after the government withdrew from retail sales. However, in July 2022, serious violations were flagged by Delhi’s Chief Secretary, leading to the policy’s cancellation in September.
The CBI claims that liquor companies were involved in shaping the policy to secure a 12% profit margin, with the “South Group” liquor lobby allegedly paying ₹100 crore in kickbacks to the AAP, some of which was routed to public servants. The ED has accused individuals involved of laundering these kickbacks.
Delhi Excise Policy Case: Court Summons Arvind Kejriwal on July 12
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