New Delhi, 5 Aug

The Delhi High Court on Monday upheld Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the corruption case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam, dealing a massive blow to the AAP leader.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna dismissed Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, holding that it cannot be said it was without any justifiable reason. The high court also disposed of the AAP national convenor’s bail plea and granted him liberty to approach the trial court for relief.

The high court had on 17 July reserved its order on his plea challenging his arrest by the CBI. It had reserved the order on the AAP leader’s bail plea on July 29 after hearing the arguments of the counsel for Kejriwal and the central agency.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on 26 June from Tihar Jail, where he was lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The chief minister, who was arrested by the ED on 21 March, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on 20 June. However, the trial court's order was stayed by the high court. On 12 July, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving the formulation and execution of the excise policy.

According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.