New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Excise Policy 'scam' case.
A two-judge bench led by Justice Surya Kant, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan pronounced the verdict after hearing Kejriwal’s two petitions—one challenging the bail denial and another against the CBI arrest in the connected case.
A look at the timeline of major developments in the case.
- March 21, 2024: Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam, making him the first serving Chief Minister to be arrested. Earlier, the AAP leader skipped at least nine summons by the ED, calling them "illegal.”
- May 10, 2024: The SC granted Kejriwal interim but conditional bail until June 1 ahead of the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections. He got relief after the apex court referred to a past decision in which elections were termed “the barometer and lifeline of a parliamentary system." It also underlined Kejriwal’s role as a top politician.
- June 2, 2024: The AAP President surrenders at Tihar Jail soon after the interim bail granted by the SC ended.
- June 26, 2024: Nearly a month after his surrender, the CBI formally arrested Kejriwal following the Rouse Avenue Court’s order in the corruption case linked to the liquor scam.
- July 12, 2024: The top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal, and during the pronouncement of the verdict, it questioned the legality and necessity of his arrest by ED.
- August 5, 2024: The Delhi High Court upheld the CBI’s decision to arrest Kejriwal. It also directed him to approach the lower court for bail.
- August 12, 2024: Kejriwal challenged the Delhi HC’s order at the Supreme Court.
- September 5, 2024: The Supreme Court reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s bail plea and his challenge to the CBI arrest.
- September 13, 2024: Kejriwal granted bail in the CBI case with a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh. The court also directed not to make any public comments on the case.
About Excise Policy 'scam' case
In November 2021, the Delhi government implemented the revamped liquor excise policy for 2021–22. However, it decided to scrap it less than a year later amid extensive corruption allegations.
In July 2022, Delhi Lt Governor (LG) VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy.
A month later, the CBI and ED registered cases in connection with alleged irregularities. They alleged that wholesaler profit margins were artificially boosted to 12% from 5%, claiming that the regulation promoted cartelisation and benefitted those ineligible for liquor licenses for economic gain.
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