SC reserves verdict on Kejriwal’s bail plea in liquor scam case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and seeking bail in the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan reserved its decision after hearing the oral arguments advanced by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, who appeared on behalf of the CBI.

During the hearing, Singhvi contended that CBI did not arrest Kejriwal for two years but made an “insurance arrest in hurry” to prevent his release in the money laundering case. The CBI arrested Kejriwal for “his non-cooperation and evasive replies” but there were several apex court judgments that held that cooperation with the probe should not mean that the accused should incriminate himself and confess to the offences alleged, he said.

Singhvi added that Kejriwal, a constitutional functionary holding the position of Delhi Chief Minister, satisfied the triple test for grant of bail. “He is not a flight risk, he will turn up to answer the questions of the investigative agency, and cannot tamper with documents, running into lakhs of pages, and digital evidence after two years,” he submitted.

On the other hand, the central agency apprehended that the release of Kejriwal would turn many witnesses “hostile” and urged the apex court to not release Kejriwal on bail. ASG Raju said that many candidates of the AAP in the Goa Assembly election came forward to give their statements to the central agency only after Kejriwal was arrested. “They (witnesses) will turn hostile, if your lordships release Kejriwal on bail,” he argued.

He argued that Kejriwal’s plea for bail should be remanded back to the trial court and he should have not petitioned the Delhi High Court for bail in the first instance.