Aug 23, 2024 09:42 PM IST
The CBI has already filed a supplementary charge sheet against Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested on June 26 and has been in judicial custody since then.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday received approval from Delhi’s Rose Avenue Court to prosecute Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, for which he is currently in judicial custody, news agency ANI reported.
The CBI has already filed a supplementary charge sheet against Kejriwal, who was arrested on June 26 by the agency and has been in judicial custody since then. The court is set to review the supplementary charge sheet on August 27. This sanction was a necessary step for the CBI to proceed with prosecuting Kejriwal.
On August 20, the Rouse Avenue Court extended Arvind Kejriwal‘s judicial custody in the CBI case until August 27, 2024. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja will also review the Enforcement Directorate’s supplementary chargesheet against Kejriwal and others on the same day.
On July 30, the CBI filed its fourth supplementary chargesheet, naming Kejriwal as an accused and alleging that he was “one of the key conspirators” in the case. Although the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the ED case on July 12, he remains in jail due to the CBI case.
Kejriwal was initially arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 regarding the excise policy case, just hours after the Delhi high court rejected his request for interim protection from arrest. Subsequently, on June 26, the CBI took him into custody from the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court which sent him to judicial custody on June 29.
What happened to the bail plea?
On Friday, the Supreme Court adjourned Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the CBI in the excise policy case. The next hearing is scheduled for September 5. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan permitted the CBI to file its counter affidavit and granted Kejriwal two days to submit a rejoinder.
Additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing the CBI, requested more time to file an affidavit for one of the petitions, noting that the agency has already submitted an affidavit for the other petition. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, claimed that the affidavit was filed late Thursday at 8 pm to prevent it from reaching the bench in time.
The affidavit submitted by the CBI in one of the petitions alleged that Kejriwal was using the case for “political sensationalism”. It claimed he was involved in a criminal conspiracy related to the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy.
On August 5, the Delhi High Court affirmed the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest, dismissing his plea against it. The court noted that the CBI had proceeded with further investigation only after gathering sufficient evidence and obtaining sanction in April 2024.
Here is what the Delhi excise policy case about
In 2021-22, the Delhi government introduced an excise policy to rejuvenate the city’s struggling liquor business. The policy aimed to replace the sales-volume-based system with a license fee for traders and promised more modern stores, free from the notorious metal grilles, to enhance the customer experience.
However, the policy was abandoned after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requested a CBI investigation, citing allegations of irregularities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that the AAP, led by Kejriwal, “received ₹100 crore kickbacks to finalise the policy.” It is also alleged that the party used a huge portion of this money in its election campaign in Goa.
