Arvind Kejriwal bail has been put on hold by the Delhi High Court in a corruption case related to the Delhi Liquor Policy. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering.
In a major setback for Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi High Court has paused his bail order until they hear the ED’s petition. The ED challenged the trial court’s bail decision just hours before Kejriwal was set to leave Tihar Jail. The petition was presented for an urgent hearing before Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, who decided the trial court’s order would not take effect until the petition was reviewed.
Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders had planned to visit him at Tihar Jail at 4 PM today. This visit has now been postponed due to the court’s decision.
Yesterday, a Delhi court ordered Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, with conditions that he would not interfere with the investigation or influence witnesses. The court agreed with Kejriwal’s argument that the ED had not provided enough evidence since his arrest on March 21.
This decision came after several rounds in trial courts where Kejriwal was repeatedly denied bail. Despite these challenges, Kejriwal has not resigned as Delhi Chief Minister, despite calls for his resignation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In May, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal for election campaigning. He returned to prison two days before the election results were announced.
The ED’s charges allege that Kejriwal was involved in money laundering while creating the Delhi Liquor Policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after concerns from the Lieutenant Governor. The ED claims the money Kejriwal received from liquor sellers funded AAP’s campaign in Goa, given his role as the party’s convenor.
Arvind Kejriwal’s legal challenges continue, with the next steps dependent on the upcoming high court hearing.