Delhi HC Issues Notice To CBI On Bail Plea Moved By CM Arvind Kejriwal In Excise Policy Case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by CBI in the excise policy on June 26 and is currently in judicial custody.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal moved a bail plea in Delhi High Court in a CBI case in excise policy case. (Image Source: PTI)

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on a bail plea moved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy matter. The court has set the matter to be heard on July 17. 

The Delhi CM was arrested by CBI in connection with the matter on June 26 while he was serving his jail term in Tihar in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. 

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued the notice to the investigation agency and listed the matter for further hearing on July 17. 

Representing Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, said that the Aam Aadmi Party leader is not a flight risk and not a terrorist and CBI arrested him after he got bail in the ED's money laundering case. 

Appearing for the CBI, advocate DP Singh raised objection over Kejriwal directly approaching the High Court without first filing the bail plea before the trial court.

He was initially arrested by the ED on March 21 and 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.

In Tuesday's hearing over Kejriwal's bail plea, challenging the CBI arrect, Singhvi questioned the necessity for arrest.

"No question of CBI arresting me in June 2024 because CBI FIR is of August 2022. He is then summoned in April 2023 and questioned for nine hours. From that till now, nothing is done." Singhvi argued in court.

Singhvi questioned as to how CBI could arrest Kejriwal in June 2024, on an FIR lodged in 2022, where he was only questioned in April 2023. "There cannot be urgency or necessity of arrest," he said.