Kejriwal moves SC challenging arrest by CBI in excise policy scam seeks bail

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order upholding his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam.

The Delhi High Court had on August 5 upheld the arrest of the chief minister as legal, and said there was no malice in the acts of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which demonstrated how the AAP supremo could influence witnesses who could muster the courage to depose only after his arrest.

The appeal has been filed by the chief minister in the top court, a lawyer associated with the case said on Monday.

The high court, while upholding his arrest, had asked Kejriwal to move the trial court first for seeking regular bail.

The chief minister, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court’s order was stayed by the high court.

On July 12, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving the formulation and execution of the excise policy.

According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.