Arvind Kejriwal granted bail by Supreme Court; 21-day delay deemed inconsequential.

The court has asked the leader to surrender on June 2 for questioning in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. The Supreme Court ruling on Arvind Kejriwal included the decision to grant him interim bail until June 1 and required him to surrender on June 2. The court emphasized that the duration of interim bail would not make a significant difference in this case.

It also noted that the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered in August 2022, and the chief minister was arrested on March 21 this year, pointing out that he had been free for one-and-a-half years without being arrested. The bail conditions were stated to be similar to those imposed on AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was given bail last month in connection with the case. The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March in a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.

The ED’s case focuses on the exceptionally high-profit margin provided by the Delhi liquor policy 2021-22 – 12 per cent for wholesalers and nearly 185 per cent for retailers. The investigation into the case also focuses on an alleged network of middlemen, businessmen, and politicians referred to as the “South Group” by the central agencies.