The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict today on the plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking bail and quashing of arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi Excise Policy case.  As per the cause list of September 13 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is slated to pronounce the verdict. 

The bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, had on September 5 reserved its verdict on the pleas. Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the corruption case filed by the central agency. Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26. Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha, Vijay Nair and several other accused in the excise policy scam case have been given bail by the courts.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said they are “hopeful” and are waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail. “We are very hopeful. We are waiting for tomorrow,” Chadha told reporters.

AAP convenor has challenged in the apex court the Delhi High Court’s August 5 order which upheld his arrest in the corruption case.  Kejriwal contended that his arrest was a strategic move. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi argued that the arrest, which followed Kejriwal’s bail in a related money laundering case, was unexpected after nearly two years without action from the CBI.

The high court had noted that the loop of evidence against Kejriwal was closed after the collection of relevant evidence following his arrest by the CBI and it cannot be said that it was without any justifiable reason or illegal.

 The high court had also granted him the liberty to approach a trial court with his plea seeking bail in the case. The matter relates to alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which has now been scrapped.