Delhi High Court on Friday ordered a stay on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail issued by a trial court a day before.
The Rouse Avenue Court on June 20 granted bail to the Aam Aadmi Party leader upon payment of a Rs 1 lakh bond. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 over the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy case.
The high court said that the trial court’s bail order would be stayed until it hears the matter. Meanwhile, soon after the Rouse Avenue Court issued its order, ED the court to stay Kejriwal’s bail for 48 hours, which was eventually rejected by the trial court.
The probe agency approached the high court on Friday where Additional Solicitor General SV Raju and Special Public Prosecutor Zoeb Hossain said, “We were not given ample opportunity to argue the matter before the vacation judge…I was not even given time to file a written submission.”
After the high court put a stay on the bail order, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had reached Kejriwal’s residence earlier during the day, said, “The law has no meaning for the central government. When the order did not come, which order did the ED challenge in the High Court?”
Last month, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1 to campaign for the Lok Sabha Elections for 21 days. On June 2, the chief minister surrendered and went back to Tihar Jail.
The Delhi Government under Arvind Kejriwal introduced the New Excise Policy to modernise alcohol sales in the national capital. The policy received mixed reactions, with one side backing it and the other raising concerns.
Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena alleging irregularities and violations in the new liquor policy. The report said that AAP leader Manish Sisodia took “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” in his capacity as the Excise Minister. This has resulted in “financial losses to the exchequer.” Kumar also accused the Delhi government of pocketing the money earned through kickbacks from owners who were given preferential treatment. Based on the report, the LG of Delhi recommended a CBI probe into the case.
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Delhi HC puts Arvind Kejriwal’s bail on hold after ED’s challenge
