Leader Online Desk : A hearing was held in the High Court today (22nd) on the petition filed for granting interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is under arrest in the Delhi liquor scam case. This petition was rejected by the court.
A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking his release on interim bail in criminal cases registered against Kejriwal. In this petition, it was mentioned that Kejriwal's security in Tihar Jail was in danger. The ED had arrested Kejriwal in the case on March 21 after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the penal proceedings. He is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail.
⁰“Totally misconceived”: Delhi High Court dismisses PIL seeking release of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on “extra ordinary interim bail”.
Court imposes Rs. 75,000 costs on petitioner “We the people of India.”#ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/FdUvLDzMIN
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 22, 2024
What did the Delhi High Court say in the previous hearing?
In the Delhi liquor policy case, on April 9, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma of the single bench of the Delhi High Court rejected Kejriwal's plea. The ED had enough evidence to warrant arrest. That is why they arrested Kejriwal. Political reasons cannot be brought before the court. The case before this Court is not a conflict between the Central Government and Kejriwal. So is the case between Kejriwal and ED. This court will not make one for common citizens and special privilege for Chief Minister. Judges are bound by law, not politics. Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma also clarified that judgments are written according to legal principles.
What is Delhi's New Liquor Policy?
On 22 March 2021, the then Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia announced a new liquor policy for Delhi. On 17 November 2021, a new liquor policy i.e. Excise Duty Policy 2021-22 was implemented. Given after this policy. The government's control over the liquor shops was transferred to the private sector. The government predicted that the mafia rule in the liquor business would end and the government's revenue would increase. But this new policy was controversial from the beginning. On 28 July 2022, the government scrapped the new liquor policy and reinstated the old policy after the uproar.
No relief even from Supreme Court, next hearing on 29th April
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in the Delhi liquor policy case. He had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court claiming that the arrest was illegal. On April 10, the Delhi High Court rejected Kejriwal's plea. Kejriwal filed a petition challenging this verdict in the Supreme Court. The petition was heard today (April 15) in the Supreme Court. A bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta has issued notice to the 'ED'. In this case, the bench has ordered that the ED should file a reply by April 24. It has also been clarified that the next hearing in this matter will be held on 29 April.
