Delhi court reserves order on Arvind Kejriwal bail plea

A Delhi court has reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case linked to the scrapped Delhi excise policy of 2021-22. Judge Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court heard arguments over two days before reserving the decision.

Kejriwal faces allegations of conspiring to launder money through loopholes in the excise policy to benefit liquor sellers and fund AAP's Goa election campaign. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) presented concrete evidence, including photos of currency notes as kickbacks and details of a seven-star hotel stay in Goa allegedly paid through illicit funds.

Kejriwal's lawyer Vikram Chaudhary countered, claiming the ED's allegations lacked substantiation and questioned the agency's impartiality. Kejriwal, who previously obtained interim bail from the Supreme Court for election campaigning, returned to custody on June 2, and his judicial custody was recently extended till July 3 despite a rejected plea for bail on medical grounds.