• Source:JND
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in liquor policy 'scam'. CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested after the Rouse Avenue Court allowed the CBI to examine him in the courtroom and asked it to place on record the material that they have for his arrest. He appeared before the Rouse Avenue Court for a hearing in the liquor policy case.

Advocate DP Singh, Special Public Prosecutor appearing for CBI, said that CBI sought permission for the accused's custody as the investigation is their prerogative. He stated that the crime investigative agency wanted formal custody of Arvind Kejriwal to interrogate him in the excise policy case.

CBI told the court that the investigative agency has filed four chargesheets against 17 accused in the liquor policy case. The CBI officials also stated that they stand almost at the conclusion of the investigation and asked the court for the five-day custodial interrogation of Arvind Kejriwal. 

CM Arvind Kejriwal also withdrew his bail plea in Supreme Court challenging Delhi High Court’s stay order on the bail granted to him by the Rouse Avenue Court. The withdrawal of bail plea followed his arrest by the CBI on Wednesday. 

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti, which allowed Kejriwal to withdraw his plea, was told by the AAP leader's counsel senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi that since the high court has passed a detailed order on June 25, he would like to file a substantial appeal, reported news agency PTI.

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"We would like to file a substantial appeal to bring on record all relevant details and challenge the June 25 order of the high court in which bail order was finally stayed," Abhishek Sighvi said.

Arvind Kejriwal earlier sought the apex court's intervention as the High Court decided to halt the trial court's June 20 order, which had granted bail to Kejriwal in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The trial court had released Kejriwal on a personal bond of  Rs 1 lakh, but Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain of the Delhi High Court stayed the order, stating that the trial court did not adequately consider the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) evidence and for not giving the agency enough opportunity to present its case.

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Justice Jain emphasised that the trial court failed to properly evaluate the ED's evidence against Kejriwal. In response, AAP released a statement expressing disagreement with the High Court's decision and confirmed their intention to challenge it in the Supreme Court. 

"A High Court bench stayed the order of the lower court without even the order getting uploaded. I did not have any hope from the High Court. I think the High Court bench was prejudiced. We will approach the higher court," AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj stated after the Delhi HC stayed the bail order.

The Delhi excise policy, scrapped in 2022, has been under investigation for alleged irregularities and corruption. Both the CBI and ED claim that undue favours were granted to licence holders, and significant irregularities were found in the policy's implementation. The CBI examined Kejriwal in Tihar Jail and recorded his statement related to the Excise Policy case. Kejriwal, arrested by the ED on March 21, remains in judicial custody.