SC grants bail to Kejriwal with conditions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy 'scam', saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted the relief to Kejriwal on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh, and two sureties of like amount. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in the excise policy case on March 21, was granted interim bail on May 10 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls and has been in jail since June 2 when he surrendered. The top court directed Kejriwal not to make any public comment on the merits of the case and added that terms and conditions as imposed in the ED case would also be applicable here. The top court, while granting him bail in the ED case, had said that Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat and not sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanction.

Kejriwal on Friday said he will continue to fight "anti-national" forces working to weaken the nation, and asserted the incarceration has only strengthened his resolve. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi has said that his client is the Delhi chief minister and no power, except the elected government or President's Rule, can change that status.

Singhvi claimed that the AAP chief can also sign all files, except those pertaining to the liquor policy case under which he was arrested.

The AAP demanded that the BJP apologise to the country for keeping "staunchly honest" leader Arvind Kejriwal in jail and asserted that the Supreme Court bail in the excise policy case has exposed the saffron party's "lies" while dubbing central probe agencies CBI and ED as its "tota-maina". Kejriwal's bail comes as a big boost to the Aam Aadmi Party, which is seeking to make forays in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir in the coming elections and also gearing up to retain power in Delhi where polls are due early next year.

Talking to reporters, senior party leader Manish Sisodia claimed the Supreme Court's observation makes it clear that the BJP was using the CBI and the ED as its "tota-maina" to keep the AAP supremo behind bars as part of its conspiracy.

Attacking the BJP, AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said, "It has been proved by the Supreme Court's order that you can not do away with Babasaheb's Constitution, finish democracy, popularity of Arvind Kejriwal and elected government of Delhi by using 'Tota-Maina' ED and CBI." Following the court's order, a joyous Sunita Kejriwal was seen distributing sweets along with other senior AAP leaders and workers outside the chief minister's residence.

The BJP said Delhi Kejriwal should immediately resign from his post as the Supreme Court has granted him only conditional bail and that he continues to be an accused in a corruption case linked to the excise policy 'scam.