Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal gets bail in excise policy case

NEW DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday granted bail to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on a bond of Rs 1 lakh in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy case. The court also declined Enforcement Directorate (ED) prayer to stay the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's bail order for 48 hours.
Kejriwal has been in jail since March 21 and was granted bail for a short period to campaign for his party during the Lok Sabha elections held last month.
The court, however, imposed conditions on the bail, including prohibiting him from hampering the investigation or influencing witnesses. Kejriwal has been instructed to appear before the court whenever required and to cooperate with the investigation.
Special Judge Niyay Bindu issued the order after listening to arguments from both the prosecution and the defence counsel. On Wednesday, Kejriwal's judicial custody had been extended until July 3.
The judge had reserved the order earlier in the day after hearing arguments from the ED, which sought to link Kejriwal to the alleged proceeds of crime and co-accused individuals. The defense argued that the prosecution lacked evidence to substantiate claims against the AAP leader.
ED will now move Delhi high court on Friday morning against trial court's judgement in Arvind Kejriwal case.
'Truth can be troubled, not defeated'
AAP leader Atishi commented "Satyamev Jayate" (truth alone triumphs) following the grant of bail.
Kejriwal's arrest stemmed from allegations tied to financial irregularities in the excise policy, which led to a high-profile investigation by the ED. The case has drawn significant attention and sparked numerous political reactions.

"We have faith in the court… Kejriwal gets bail… truth wins…," Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann wrote on X.

"Truth can be troubled, but not defeated," said AAP.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Rouse Avenue court granting bail to CM Arvind Kejriwal is a milestone for the whole country. This decision will become a big example in our law system. In PMLA, most people get relief only from the Supreme Court. Usually, lower courts never give relief. So it is evident that the central govt has no proof in this case."
AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, "This case is completely fake, the whole case has been written in the BJP office. We are very grateful to the court for giving a historic decision. Regular bail in a PMLA case is nothing less than an acquittal."