Arvind Kejriwal walks out of Tihar Jail as SC grants bail in excise policy case: ‘My strength has increased 100 times’

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar jail on Friday following a Supreme Court order granting him bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case filed by the CBI. He has already got bail in another case registered by the Enforcement Directorate in July. 

“I want to thank people who prayed for my release…you have braved rain to come here. Every drop of my blood dedicated to nation. I faced difficulties, but God has always been with me. God helped me because I was truthful,” the AAP leader told party workers.

Kejriwal emerged from Tihar jail in a car alongside his security convoy as rain-soaked supporters chanted slogans. Visuals shared online also showed supporters and party workers bursting firecrackers outside Tihar jail — despite a recently imposed cracker ban order in Delhi to check air pollution.

"They put me in jail, they thought putting Kejriwal behind the bars will break his morale. Today, I want to tell you that I have come out of jail, my morale has boosted 100 times. My strength has increased 100 times," added the Delhi CM.

Top lieutenants including Bhagwant Mann and Manish Sisodia let the sloganeering from atop a truck. Calls such as ‘Jail ke taale toot gaye, Kejriwal choot gaye’ and ‘Bhrastachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal’ rent the air.

The two-judge SC Bench had deemed his arrest lawful but insisted that prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. 

A Delhi court had issued a release order for the jailed politician following the verdict, and accepted a request to send it through special messenger. Special Judge Rakesh Syal passed the order after the advocates for Kejriwal filed a bail bond of ₹10 lakh with two sureties of the like amount before the court.

The top court has said that Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat and not sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanction. It also said completion of trial was unlikely to occur in the immediate future and rejected the apprehension of tampering by Kejriwal.

Several AAP leaders and workers have gathered outside the jail and party headquarters to welcome the Delhi CM. They also distributed sweets and burst crackers after the news broke on Friday afternoon.

“Today, all those under trial, except one, in the so-called excise policy case, have been granted bail. The comments made by the SC in today's hearing, are exactly the same as what we had been saying for the last 2 years... The SC even said that the country's premier investigative agency, the CBI, is a caged parrot. The SC called CBI a caged parrot even when UPA was in power... Towards the end, the SC said that the CBI needs to be an uncaged parrot,” said AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj.

AAP leaders also assured that the party would fight the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections with 'double energy'. State party chief Sushil Gupta said Kejriwal would will campaign in the state following his release.

The news has also prompted a flurry of exultant messages from members of the INDIA bloc.

“The bail of Delhi's popular and public welfare Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal is a 'victory of the Constitution'. Only those who are against the Constitution misuse the Constitution. The knock on the door of justice is always heard. The world has moved forward on this tradition till now and will continue to do so,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted in Hindi on X.

“The bail granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal makes one thing clear that the foundation of democracy in the country is still strong. The long fight has ended with the victory of truth. Kejriwal's bail reaffirmed the feeling that the conspiracy to vanquish someone through illegitimate means will never succeed in a democratic country,” Sharad ," Pawar wrote on X. 

“The court has given a good decision. It is a well-known fact that the BJP is misusing agencies like CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and ED (Directorate of Enforcement) against opposition leaders,” added DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan.

(With inputs from agencies)