Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, was granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case on Friday. The Supreme Court, however, put before him certain conditions he must comply with during his time out on bail.
On Friday, September 13, Kejriwal was granted bail in a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Earlier in June, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court had granted bail to the Delhi chief minister in a money laundering (ED) case linked to the same excise policy case. The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail in the ED case in June 12.
The Supreme Court dictated that Kejriwal cannot make comments on merits of excise policy case while out on bail. "Regarding building a public narrative of a case...Arvind Kejriwal shall not make any public comments about this case and be present for all hearings before the trial court unless exempted," Justice Surya Kant was quoted by Bar and Bench as saying.
The Supreme Court said all the conditions imposed on Kejriwal when he was granted bail in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case linked to the same matter "shall apply in this case also." The bail conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in the ED case were:
(a) He shall furnish bail bonds in the sum of ₹50,000/- with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the Jail Superintendent;
(b) He shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat.
(c) He shall be bound by the statement made on his behalf that he shall not sign official files unless it is required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
(d) He will not make any comment with regard to his role in the present case.
(e) He will not interact with any of the witnesses and/or have access to any official files connected with the case.
However, Justice Bhuyan expressed his reservations with the conditions previously prescribed by the Supreme Court barring Kejriwal from entering the Delhi Secretariat and signing files.
"I have serious reservations on the conditions which bar Kejriwal from entering Secretariat or signing files, but I am not making a comment due to judicial restraint as it was in a different ED case," he was quoted by Bar and Bench as saying.
