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Top court has granted more time to the CBI to file another counter affidavit in the case
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi has told Supreme Court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is deliberately delaying the hearing in Arvind Kejriwal’s bail petition.
Before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, the senior lawyer representing Kejriwal in the alleged liquor policy scam pointed out that the affidavit by CBI was filed late last night at 8 pm so that it doesn’t reach judges on time for the hearing today.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju for the CBI however said that he had already filed the first counter and was seeking time to file another one and that today was the first returnable date.
Court granted the CBI two days to file its counter and listed the case for further hearing on September 5.
Kejriwal is in the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court's dismissal of his petition against his arrest by the CBI in the liquor policy scam case.
While CBI has termed Kejriwal as the 'sutradhar' (mastermind) of the policy scam, the High Court's single judge bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna held, “The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by the CBI was legal”.
A month back, the Chief Minister was granted interim bail in the Delhi liquor policy scam in the case by Enforcement Directorate noting that he had been incarcerated for over 90 days. The court said,
"He is the Chief Minister of a state and the elected leader. Considering his right to life and liberty and the fact that he has been in jail for over 90 days, we are of the view that Kejriwal is entitled to be released on interim bail”.
The Delhi CM was arrested on March 21st this year by the ED and obtained Supreme Court bail for campaigning but faced challenges in subsequent appeals. After obtaining interim bail in the ED case on July 12, he continues to be in custody on account of his arrest by CBI.
The Rouse Avenue Court had authorized the CBI to question Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the defunct liquor excise policy.
Case Title: Arvind Kejriwal Vs Central Bureau of Investigation
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