In a big relief to the Delhi Chief Minister, the Rouse Avenue Court on Friday granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam case. He was granted bail on a bond of Rs 1 lakh.
Special Judge Niyay Bindu granted the relief to the AAP chief on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. The judge passed the order after hearing arguments advanced by the prosecution and the defence counsel on Kejriwal’s application for regular bail.
According to sources from Tihar, Kejriwal is likely to come out of jail on Friday, June 21. The court also declined the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) request to stay the bail order of Kejriwal for 48 hours.
Earlier in the day, the court had reserved its order on the bail application of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Special Judge Niyay Bindu had reserved the order after hearing the ED, which sought to link Kejriwal to the alleged proceeds of crime and co-accused, and the defence that claimed the prosecution has no evidence to nail the AAP leader.
During the hearing, the ED sought to link Kejriwal to the alleged proceeds of crime and co-accused, and the defence that claimed the prosecution has no evidence to nail the chief minister.
The agency told the court that Kejriwal stayed at hotel Grand Hyatt in Goa on November 7, 2021 during the assembly poll campaign and the bill was paid by Chanpreet Singh, who is alleged to have managed the AAP funds in the coastal state. Kejriwal’s counsel, however, asserted that the entire case against him rests on statements.
“The statements are of those people who have confessed to being guilty. They are not saints here. They are those who are not only tainted, but it appears that some who were arrested were given a promise of bail and a promise of being granted pardon. Approvers. And there is another category who have not been arrested,” the counsel said.
Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21, is currently in judicial custody. On May 10, the Supreme Court had granted him bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He surrendered in Tihar jail on June 2 after his bail period ended.