Kejriwal out on bail to join polls fray

The Supreme Court of India has given an interim bail to New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for 21 days and asked the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to surrender on June 2, a day after the polling for the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections is scheduled to end, reports NDTV.

The Delhi Chief Minister walked out of the jail later in the evening.

The Supreme Court, while granting interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, also pointed out the Enforcement Directorate‍‍`s delay in arresting the AAP chief. A bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, said that the central probe agency had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in August 2022, but Mr Kejriwal was arrested in March.

"For about one and half years he was there... The arrest could have been made afterward or before. 21 days here or there should not make any difference," Justice Khanna said.

Kejriwal had sought a release from jail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.

Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has called the case against him fabricated and politically motivated.

AAP is a challenger to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Delhi and the northern state of Punjab, where voting will take place on May 25 and June 1, respectively.