Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-cancelled liquor policy. Vacation Judge Nyay Bindu reserved and subsequently passed the bail order earlier in the day.
Following the court's decision, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) requested 48 hours to pursue legal remedies, but the judge declined to stay the order. Kejriwal is expected to be released from Tihar Jail on Friday upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.
Kejriwal becomes the second Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, after Sanjay Singh, to secure bail in this case, while former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia remains in custody.
Arrested by the ED on March 21 amidst high drama ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal had been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in May due to the electoral context, subsequently surrendering on June 2.
During the proceedings, the ED alleged that it possessed evidence indicating Kejriwal's involvement in demanding Rs 100 crore in kickbacks related to the liquor policy. The agency further claimed that funds derived from these kickbacks were used to finance AAP's election campaign in Goa.
