New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faced a major setback as the Delhi High Court suspended his bail on Friday, just a day after a trial court had granted him relief in a money laundering case tied to the defunct excise policy. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had contested the bail granted by the Rouse Avenue court, leading to this development.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court challenging the trial courts decision to grant bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Excise policy money laundering case. Kejriwal, who had been in judicial custody since March, was granted bail by the trial court on a bond of ₹1,00,000. EDs move comes amid allegations of irregularities linked to the now-defunct liquor policy and follows procedural objections raised during the lower court proceedings. The appeal seeks to overturn the bail order as the legal battle surrounding the case intensifies in the higher judiciary.ED moves Delhi High Court against the order of the trial court granting bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi Excise policy money laundering case.ED is likely to mention the matter for an urgent hearing. pic.twitter.com/zoPVr5a6cO— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to approach the Delhi High Court today against the regular bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Rouse Avenue court in connection with the excise policy case.Granted bail to AAP Chief On Thursday, vacation judge Nyay Bindu granted bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, who had been in judicial custody since March, upon submission of a bond worth ₹1,00,000. The Rouse Avenue court had declined EDs request to postpone the filing of the bail bond by 48 hours, prompting the agency to announce its intention to file a plea against the decision on Friday morning.Arvind Kejriwal will release todayAs per the courts directive, Arvind Kejriwal will be eligible for release from Tihar Jail on Friday following the submission of the bail bond before the Duty judge. Arvind Kejriwal becomes the second AAP leader, after Sanjay Singh, to secure bail in the same case, while Manish Sisodia remains incarcerated in Tihar Jail.Excise policy case The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the now-defunct liquor policy. His temporary relief came on May 10 when the Supreme Court granted him a 21-day interim bail coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal subsequently surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities on June 2.Earlier, Kejriwal had challenged his arrest in the Delhi High Court, which upheld the EDs actions citing non-compliance with successive summonses.SC declined to extend his interim relief The Chief Minister applied for regular bail last month after the Supreme Court declined to extend his interim relief. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju opposed his bail plea, alleging kickbacks received by AAP leaders had been funneled through Hawala channels into the partys election campaign in Goa. Raju claimed Kejriwal had been in contact with Hawala dealers and referenced financial transactions, including a stay at the Grand Hyatt Goa in November 2021, allegedly paid for by an associate involved in the campaign.The case continues to unfold amidst political and legal scrutiny, with developments expected as EDs appeal reaches the Delhi High Court.
