New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail in the Delhi liquor policy case after his lawyer argued that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lacked evidence against him. The ED plans to appeal against the trial court's decision in the Delhi High Court tomorrow.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader is expected to be released from jail once the bail order is processed. Kejriwal's legal team highlighted that the ED's case heavily relied on statements from individuals who became approvers in the matter.
The court denied the ED's request to allow at least 48 hours to sign the bail bond in order for the central agency to challenge it before the relevant court paving the way for Kejriwal’s immediate release.
"The statements are of those people who have confessed to being guilty. They are not saints here. They are those who are not only tainted, but it appears that some who were arrested were given a promise of bail, and promise of being granted pardon. Approvers. And there is another category who have not been arrested," Kejriwal's lawyer had said earlier today, after which the court had reserved its order, only to announce the bail around 8 pm.
"Circumstances have to be so intrinsically linked (as to) lead to the guilt. These statements by tainted persons discredit the case of prosecution. There is no evidence that ₹ 100 crore came from 'South Group'. These are all statements. There is no evidence," the Chief Minister's lawyer said, referring to what the ED calls the 'South Group', a lobby from Telangana that allegedly conspired to grab liquor licences in the national capital
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The ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags. The ED has alleged the money Mr Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa, since he is the convenor of the AAP.
Kejriwal and the AAP have from the start maintained the Centre has been misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.
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