The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), opposing the bail plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has stated.
That he should not be considered on par with his co-accused in the liquor policy case. In its response ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on the bail plea on Thursday, the CBI also said that the Aam Admi Party (AAP) supremo’s treatment can be provided while he is in custody.
The central agency, which argued that there was no violation of laws in arresting Kejriwal, claimed that he “is simply attempting to politically sensationalise the case,” according to the CBI’s response accessed by India Today.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, while considering the bail plea on August 14, had denied him interim bail. The hearing was deferred until September 5, allowing the CBI to file its counter affidavit.
The Delhi Chief Minister was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024, in a money laundering case and later by the CBI in a corruption case on June 26. He has already received bail from the top court in the ED case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.
KEJRIWAL CAN’T CLAIM PARITY WITH CO-ACCUSED: CBI
The CBI, which filed its second response in the Supreme Court last week, argued that Kejriwal cannot claim parity with his co-accused in the case, considering his role. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K Kavitha, and former AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair have already been granted bail by the Supreme Court.
In its submission to the court, the central agency stated that treatment can be provided to him while in custody. Kejriwal cited health reasons to seek bail from the Supreme Court.
The CBI also argued that the “bail granted to co-accused [of Kejriwal] has no bearing on his plea challenging the legality of his arrest”. While granting bail to K Kavitha, the top court had cited its August 9 bail order for Sisodia.
The agency said, “bail granted to the co-accused has no bearing on his plea challenging the legality of his arrest”.
“On interim bail on medical grounds, treatment can be provided at the Tihar Jail Hospital or any of its referral hospitals as per Jail Rules and Manuals, which is already being done. No case has been made by Kejriwal to be released on medical bail, which ought to be granted only if the treatment is not possible in the jail,” CBI stated.
On September 2, the Supreme Court granted bail to former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair in a money-laundering case lodged by the ED and a corruption case lodged by the CBI. K Kavitha secured bail from the top court on August 27, and Manish Sisodia was granted bail on August 9. Kejriwal is the only key political leader who is behind bars in the case now.