CBI Calls Arvind Kejriwal 'Sutradhar' Of Liquor Policy Scam, Delhi High Court Reserves Judgment In Bail Plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved judgment in the plea filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail in the corruption case related to the liquor policy case.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna reserved the order.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) SPP DP Singh argued that Kejriwal is the “sutradhar” of the “entire scam” and that there is direct evidence to show his involvement. He said that the trial court has already given a finding that the arrest is not illegal and thus, the probe agency has passed the stage of legality of arrest in the court below.

Singh further submitted that mere filing of chargesheet by CBI today against Kejriwal does not entitle the Chief Minister to be released on bail. He said that bail has been denied to co accused Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha even when chargesheet was filed against them.

“There are no orders which have released him on bail. Those are just interim orders. First was for elections, and other is that it may be extended or can be reversed by the constitutional bench. Stay on bail in ED case still continues. It is an interim release dependent on another circumstance of the constitutional bench,” Singh said.

Furthermore, Singh submitted that if CBI would have confronted Kejriwal earlier, there was a chance of investigation being compromised or witnesses being influenced.

“They say CBI arrest is rare. The chargesheet filed today has been filed against six persons. Five persons have not been arrested. Only few have been arrested. After his arrest, I got evidence. His own party, workers came out to answer. They are not approvers or anything. It was not forthcoming. There is evidence from Punjab, it was not forthcoming but it has come now,” he said.

Singh added, “The investigation couldn't have been completed without his arrest. Within one month we filed chargesheet. It means our investigation was at such advanced stage. The amount of evidence that has come in last one month is of that nature.”

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, N Hariharan and Ramesh Gupta appeared for Kejriwal.

Singhvi reiterated his submission that Kejriwal's arrest in the CBI case is an “insurance arrest” as an afterthought to the interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in relation to the ED case.

“Sutradhar is the word used. CBI is poetic….The first time excise policy went into making is 4-9-2020. There were nine expert committees for one year. These included four departments…After one year, in July 2021, for the first time, policy is published. At least 50 bureaucrats were involved,” Singhvi said.

He also said that the policy was not only signed by Kejriwal but also by then LG Anil Baijal and from that logic, the former LG and the bureaucrats involved in the process should also be made an accused. “You're trying to catch me by presumptions and hypothesis,” Singhvi said.

The court recently reserved order on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest and interim bail plea. Kejriwal has directly approached the High Court seeking bail, without approaching the trial court. He is in judicial custody in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged scam.

Recently, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, while referring his petition challenging the arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to a larger bench.

The CBI examined the Chief Minister in Tihar jail. This was hours after the Delhi High Court stayed his bail in the PMLA case. After court's permission, CBI examined Kejriwal in court on June 26 and then formally arrested him in the matter.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. In May, he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 01 in view of general elections. He surrendered on June 2.

Case Title: Arvind Kejriwal v. CBI