The Supreme Court today refused to grant interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the corruption case related to the excise policy scam.

"We are not granting any interim bail. We will issue notice," the Court said.

The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the CBI on the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Kejriwal against the Delhi High Court order upholding his arrest by the agency.

During the hearing today, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, submitted, "This is for notice. Three orders of release on bail, despite Section 45 under PMLA, and a order where I was sent down (Trial Court) in a matter not related to Section 45."

Singhvi termed the arrest an "insurance arrest" and argued that the CBI arrested Kejriwal when he was already in the ED's custody.

After some submissions, the Court was inclined to issue notice.

Singhvi requested for interim bail of Kejriwal. "We are of course, pressing the interim bail, the health issues are there. There is no Section 45. He has to go through the triple test."

To this submission, Justice Kant said, "We are not granting any interim bail."

Accordingly, the Court scheduled the matter for hearing on August 23.

Pertinently, on August 5, the Delhi High Court had denied interim bail to Kejriwal in the corruption case. The Court had pronounced the order which was reserved on July 29. Earlier, on July 17, the Court reserved order in his plea challenging arrest in the case.

It is to be noted that on July 2, the Court had issued notice to the CBI in Kejriwal's plea challenging arrest. Thereafter, Kejriwal also moved a bail plea; in the same case, a notice was issued to the CBI on July 5.

Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was already in judicial custody till July 3 in a PMLA case related to an excise policy scam. Initially, the AAP National convenor was remanded 3-day CBI remand by a Trial Court order dated June 26. Thereafter, Kejriwal had been initially sent to 14-day judicial custody, i.e. till July 12.
In related news, on July 12, while observing that mere interrogation does not allow arrest, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal in an ED case related to the alleged Excise Policy Scam.
Cause Title: Arvind Kejriwal v. Central Bureau of Investigation [SLP (Crl) No. 11023/2024]