Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail on Thursday in a money laundering case linked to a now-scrapped excise policy.
Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after hearing Kejriwal and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over two days.
Kejriwal has been asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.
First reaction of Arvind Kejriwal’s legal team to CNN News18
The ED, meanwhile, requested the court to grant the agency 48 hours to accept bail bonds so that order can be challenged in the higher court.
However, the judge refused to stay the order and said that the bail bond is to be produced before the duty judge on Friday.
During the two days hearing, the ED alleged that kickbacks received from liquor sellers were used to fund the electoral campaigns of AAP in Goa and Kejriwal being the National Convenor of the party was both personally and vicariously liable for the offence of money laundering.
The probe agency said that on November 7, 2021, during the Assembly poll campaign in Goa, Kejriwal stayed at the Grand Hyatt hotel, with the bill paid by Chanpreet Singh, who is alleged to have managed the AAP funds in the coastal state.
“Rs 1 lakh was paid in two instalments (to the hotel). It was paid by Chanpreet Singh (co-accused) from his bank account. Chanpreet is the person who received Rs 45 crore from different ‘Angadiyas’ (couriers),” the ED told the court opposing Kejriwal’s bail plea.
Kejriwal was represented by Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhary who said that the entire case against the Delhi CM rests on statements.
“The statements are of those people who have confessed to being guilty. They are not saints here. They are those who are not only tainted, but it appears that some who were arrested were given a promise of bail and promise of being granted pardon. Approvers. And there is another category who have not been arrested,” Kejriwal’s counsel said.
ED to move Delhi High Court on Friday
Sources to News18 said the ED will move the Delhi High Court on Friday morning to challenge Kejriwal’s bail order.
“The order of the duty magistrate is surprising. The Ed will move the high court first thing in the morning. Ed will ask the court to put a stay on the order,” the sources said.
The ED arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Kejriwal on March 21 on allegations that he was part of a conspiracy to intentionally leave loopholes in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22, to benefit certain liquor sellers.
In May, the Delhi CM was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1 to campaign for his party for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He surrendered on June 2.
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
