Kejriwal withdraws SC bail plea after CBI arrest

DELHI Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal withdrew his plea from the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the Delhi HC's interim stay on the operation of the trial court's bail order in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti permitted Kejriwal to withdraw his plea.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the AAP leader, informed the bench that Kejriwal intends to file a comprehensive appeal due to the high court's detailed order issued on June 25.

Singhvi informed the bench that new developments were taking place every day, and the CBI has now arrested Kejriwal. The bench recorded the submission and allowed him to file the appeal.

“We would like to file a substantial appeal to bring on record all relevant details and challenge the June 25 order of the high court in which bail order was finally stayed,” Singhvi said.

Earlier today, a Delhi court allowed the CBI to arrest Kejriwal concerning the alleged excise scam formally. On Tuesday, the high court stayed the trial court order granting Kejriwal bail in the case and held that the lower court did not "appropriately appreciate" the material placed before it by the federal agency.

On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively reserve orders on the ED's application to stay the bail order and halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order.

The Supreme Court refused to pass an immediate order and advised Arvind Kejriwal to wait for the High Court's decision.

The court pronounced its order on June 25, saying that the trial court did not lay out the conditions for Arvind Kejriwal's release under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), under which the Delhi Chief Minister was charged.