New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday posted on January 17, 2025, the enforcement directorate's plea against the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the 2021-22 excise policy-linked money laundering case. The ED counsel urged Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri to defer the hearing in the matter on account of the unavailability of additional solicitor general S V Raju.
The request was opposed by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, representing the AAP leader, citing "pressing urgency" in the matter. Chaudhary said the agency should withdraw its plea and the court should vacate its stay on the operation of the trial court's order granting bail. "You can't have a sword hanging on my head," he said.
The ED counsel, however, said Kejriwal was already on bail pursuant to an order passed by the Supreme Court. On July 12, the top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case while referring to a larger bench three questions on the aspect of "need and necessity of arrest" under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On June 20, Kejriwal was granted bail by a trial court on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, which was subsequently stayed by the high court. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED and the CBI on March 21 and June 26, respectively, in the money laundering and corruption cases.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.
