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Informist, Friday, Aug 23, 2024

 

NEW DELHI – Opposing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail in the liquor policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court that he was attempting to politically sensationalise the case and might influence witnesses when released on interim bail. The top court was hearing Kejriwal's plea to seek bail in the case and challenge his arrest by the probe body.

 

"Being a prominent politician and chief minister of Delhi, the petitioner (Kejriwal) is very influential, and he may influence the witnesses and evidence already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses," the probe body said. Kejriwal is also likely to tamper with the evidence to be collected, and may hamper the ongoing investigation, it added.

 

"The petitioner is simply attempting to politically sensationalise the case before this honourable court, despite repeated orders passed by various courts being prima facie satisfied of the commission of the offences herein, for which cognisance already has been taken. Such unwarranted averments are liable to be discarded," the investigating agency said.

 

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan gave both the parties time to file their responses and listed the matter for hearing on Sep 5.

 

On Aug 5, the Delhi High Court rejected Kejriwal's petition against arrest and for bail in the case. It had given him the liberty to move the trial court to seek bail. "It cannot be said that the arrest (by CBI) was without any justiciable reason or is illegal. So far as the bail application is concerned, it has been disposed of with liberty to approach trial court," the high court said.

 

Both the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI are investigating the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. While the Enforcement Directorate is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case, the CBI is looking at irregularities. On Jul 12, the Supreme Court granted the Delhi chief minister interim bail in the Enforcement Directorate's probe in the same case and referred legal questions arising out of his petition challenging his arrest by the agency to a larger bench of the court. 

 

The Delhi government had announced an excise policy in November 2021, allowing private companies to distribute liquor in the national capital. Later, the policy was withdrawn after allegations of cartelisation and monopoly. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Mar 21 in connection with a money-laundering case stemming from the liquor policy case. On Jun 26, the CBI arrested Kejriwal after the Rouse Avenue court permitted it to interrogate him in the case.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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