Delhi Excise Policy Case: SC adjourns Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in CBI case till Sept 5

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in the CBI case against him stemming from the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A two-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted the CBI one week's time to file a rejoinder to Kejriwal's plea. 

The Supreme Court was hearing Kejriwal's petition challenging the Delhi High Court's order that upheld his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the Delhi excise policy case.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the top court that the CBI filed a counter affidavit in only one of the pleas, which they received at 8 pm on Thursday. ASG SV Raju said that the central agency will file a counter in the other plea in a week's time. 

The top court in the case denied Kejriwal temporary release on August 14 and requested an answer from the  investigation team about his plea contesting his arrest. On June 26, the CBI took Kejriwal into custody.

In the money laundering case, the trial court granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20, which was stayed by the high court. On July 12, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case. 

Following an order by the lieutenant governor of Delhi to launch a CBI investigation into allegations of corruption and irregularities in the program's creation and implementation, the excise policy was abandoned in 2022.

As per the CBI and the ED, there were irregularities while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.