Setback for Kejriwal: Delhi court denies interim bail in excise policy case

Delhi Court has denied interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case. The verdict was reserved last week on his bail petitions. 

The court, however, directed the authorities to conduct required medical tests for the Aam Aadmi Party chief.

The AAP chief's judicial custody has been extended till June 19 by the Rouse Avenue court. He was produced virtually before the court for the hearing.

As per the schedule, the court will take up Arvind Kejriwal's application seeking default bail in the case on June 7.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Sunday sent Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody until June 5. Duty judge Sanjeev Aggarwal noted that Arvind Kejriwal had surrendered to Tihar Jail following Supreme Court directions.

The bench was hearing an application from the Enforcement Directorate seeking judicial custody of the Delhi chief minister. The application was pending as Arvind Kejriwal was on interim bail during elections.

The ED had sought an extension of Kejriwal's judicial custody by a period of 14 days. The application was moved on May 20 when Kejriwal was out on interim bail.

On June 1, the court reserved its order on Arvind Kejriwal's fresh interim bail plea. The plea involved Kejriwal seeking seven days of bail.
 

Kejriwal was arrested in March and then granted a temporary, three-week bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, which concluded on June 1. After the polling ended, he returned to pre-trial detention the following day.

Kejriwal is currently lodged in the Tihar jail. He was arrested in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.