SC to rule on Arvind Kejriwal's bail petitions on September 13 in Delhi excise policy case

The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to announce its verdict on Friday regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petitions for bail and his challenge against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi excise policy case.

According to the Supreme Court's cause list dated September 13, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant will pronounce the ruling. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan will join him in the reviews, having reserved the verdict on September 5.

Kejriwal has submitted two petitions contesting the denial of bail and the legality of his arrest in connection with a corruption investigation initiated by the CBI. The Chief Minister was taken into custody on June 26.

Challenging the August 5 order from the Delhi High Court, which upheld his arrest, Kejriwal argues that the decision was unsubstantiated. The High Court determined that sufficient evidence had been gathered post-arrest to justify the CBI's actions, allowing for the possibility of a bail application to be taken up by a trial court.

The case centres on alleged corruption surrounding the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which has since been annulled. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a separate money laundering case linked to the suspected excise policy 'scam.' Both agencies accuse Kejriwal and others of facilitating irregularities and providing undue benefits to license holders.

On July 12, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal concerning the money laundering allegations while referring critical questions about the necessity of arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to a larger bench, ideally comprising five judges.

During the September 5 hearing, Kejriwal forcefully opposed assertions from Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the CBI, which contended that Kejriwal should have pursued bail through the trial court first for the corruption case.