Fri Sep 13 13:07:03 UTC 2024: ## Kejriwal Granted Bail in Excise Policy Case, Supreme Court Upholds Legality of Arrest

**New Delhi, September 13, 2024:** In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. While the court upheld the legality of Kejriwal’s arrest, it deemed his prolonged imprisonment an “unjust deprivation of liberty.”

The decision came with conditions barring Kejriwal from visiting his office or the Delhi Secretariat and prohibiting him from making public comments about the case.

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, in a separate concurring opinion, expressed concern about the CBI’s arrest of Kejriwal, calling it “unjustified” and urging the agency to dispel the perception of being a “caged parrot” and instead be seen as an “uncaged parrot” operating with full independence and transparency.

Kejriwal, arrested by the CBI on June 26 for his alleged role in the excise policy scam, had already been granted interim bail in a money laundering case registered by the ED. His release from jail is expected to boost morale in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and allow him to campaign in upcoming elections in Haryana and Delhi.

The AAP celebrated the decision, calling it a victory for truth and a rebuke to the BJP government’s alleged misuse of central agencies against opposition leaders. The BJP, however, insisted that the court’s decision was only conditional bail and that Kejriwal should resign from his post as he remains an accused in the case.

The Supreme Court’s verdict in the case has sparked mixed reactions, with the AAP hailing it as a victory for justice and the BJP raising concerns about Kejriwal’s alleged involvement in the scam. The case is likely to remain a contentious issue in the lead up to the upcoming elections.

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