New Delhi: Tomorrow, June 25, the Delhi High Court will pronounce its verdict on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the now-closed Delhi Excise scam.
The order is scheduled to be pronounced at 2:30 pm.
On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted written arguments in the Delhi High Court, objecting to any relief being granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy money laundering case.
What did the ED tell the Delhi High Court against granting bail to Kejriwal?
The ED has argued that the trial court’s order was “perverse”, “one-sided” and “erroneous” and the findings were based on irrelevant facts.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has challenged the trial court’s order, seeking a stay and reversal of the same. They claim that the vacation judge has drawn erroneous conclusions in almost every paragraph of the order, ignoring crucial prosecution evidence.
According to the ED, the judge failed to review fresh evidence collected after 2023, including statements of 13 Angaria, Goa AAP workers and AAP functionaries, which the ED considers crucial in the case against Arvind Kejriwal.
Arrival of Arvind Kejriwal
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, could have walked out of Tihar jail had the high court not granted interim relief to the central anti-money laundering agency.
The trial court had on June 20 granted bail to Kejriwal and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. Also, certain conditions were imposed, including that he will not try to obstruct the investigation or influence witnesses.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption associated with its formulation and implementation.
According to the CBI and ED, irregularities were committed while revising the excise policy and undue benefits were extended to license holders.