After spending 6 months in Jail, the Chief Minister of Delhi is now ready to bid adieu to Tihar Jail. On Friday, 13th September, Supreme Court granted bail to the president of Aam Aadmi Party, he was in jail for the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. During the general elections of 2024 the apex court also granted him bail for a few days to run his election campaign.

After spending almost six months behind bars without being given a chance to defend himself, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party has suddenly been granted bail in an Enforcement Directorate case.

Abhishek Singhvi, representing Mr. Kejriwal, noted that his client had already met the “triple test” legal requirement for bail because the same court had granted him bail in the ED case during last week’s final hearing before the court withdrew to make a decision. Conversely, the CBI has consistently cited what it regards as an abundance of evidence against Mr. Kejriwal, the majority of which comes from the testimony of “approvers,” or previous accused who have been pardoned or will receive reduced terms, for providing evidence against him.

Case Background

A number of charges alleging a “multi-crore scam” in the canceled Delhi excise policy were filed with the Delhi Police in June 2022. Former Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar Chaudhary filed one of these allegations. Political opposition, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has accused Kejriwal and his supporters of obtaining payments from private vendors and selling liquor licenses. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) allegedly received millions of cash from a liquor group, according to proof the ED claimed to have. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia was among the high-ranking AAP officials who had earlier been detained in relation to the scandal in March 2023.

Why was Arvind Kejriwal arrested?

The ED issued nine summonses to Kejriwal in order to look into the scandal. Kejriwal ignored every Ed summons and was taken into custody on March 21, 2024, after the Enforcement Directorate raided his residence. Supporters and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers demonstrated outside his home as he was being hauled away. According to a source, AAP representatives claimed that the Bhartiya Janata Party obtained Electoral Bonds worth ₹60 crore as protection money from the purported liquor scam ringleader, Sarath Chandra Reddy’s Aurobindo Pharma Limited, who went on to become an approver. Kejriwal was placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and placed on remand till March 28. The Delhi High Court denied the appeal filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to be placed in custody.