Delhi High Court dismisses Kejriwal's petition challenging CBI arrest

The Delhi High Court rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy corruption case on August 5.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna ruled that the arrest could not be considered unjustified or illegal. The court disposed of Kejriwal's bail plea, allowing him to seek relief from the trial court.

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, N Hariharan, and Ramesh Gupta represented Kejriwal, while CBI Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh argued for the probe agency.

Singhvi argued that Kejriwal's arrest was an "insurance arrest" following the Supreme Court's interim bail grant in the related Enforcement Directorate (ED) case. He questioned why former Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and involved bureaucrats weren't accused, given their roles in approving the policy.

CBI SPP countered, calling Kejriwal the "sutradhar" (mastermind) of the "entire scam" with direct evidence of involvement. He stated that the trial court had already deemed the arrest legal and that filing a chargesheet didn't automatically entitle Kejriwal to bail.

The CBI examined Kejriwal in Tihar jail after obtaining court permission. Kejriwal, currently in judicial custody for both corruption and money laundering charges, approached the High Court directly for bail without first petitioning the trial court.

This development follows the Supreme Court's recent grant of interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED's money laundering case, while referring his arrest challenge to a larger bench.