Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi leader granted bail by Indian court
May 11, 2024, 12:57 IST
Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi leader granted bail by Indian court
More than thirty days after his detention on charges of corruption, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted temporary release by India's highest court.
According to the court, the bail is valid until June 1st, after which he will once again be required to submit to the police.
March saw Mr. Kejriwal's detention in relation to a now-scrapped alcohol sales regulation; he was a previous anti-corruption campaigner.
He has referred to his detention as "illegal" and refuted the accusations.
Last month, the chief minister took his case to the Supreme Court after the refusal of bail by the Delhi High Court. The Enforcement Directorate, India's financial crimes department, vehemently opposed his bail in court.
Two days before India's general election results are expected, on 2 June, a bench consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta announced that Mr. Kejriwal will be required to surrender.
Upon his release, Mr. Kejriwal will be able to campaign for the election, according to the court, but he will not be able to carry out any official tasks.
Just days after the election dates were published, Mr. Kejriwal, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was detained on March 21. He joined two other AAP leaders in being imprisoned for this matter.
The Enforcement Directorate said he took bribes from booze magnates. The accusation has been disputed by the party.
Opposition parties, including Mr. Kejriwal's, were allegedly denied a fair chance to compete in the legislative election due to the politically driven move. Officials from India's investigation authorities said they were just carrying out their duties.
Though he was incarcerated, Mr. Kejriwal maintained his office. According to his supporters, he was leading the Delhi government while incarcerated.
The incarceration of the chief minister of Delhi, who suffers from diabetes, prompted supporters to worry for his well-being.
Mr. Kejriwal and his party claimed last month that the jail administration's refusal to provide him with adequate treatment was to blame for the jump in his blood glucose levels.
But the ED believed he knowingly spiked his sugar levels with an excess of mangoes and sweets in order to get out of jail free.
A judge eventually had physicians at a prestigious medical centre decide on his insulin dosage, and he began receiving injections of the drug.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) argued that Mr. Kejriwal's bail application would be unwise since he had managed to escape their summonses nine times prior to this court hearing.
But Justice Khanna cautioned that while deciding whether to grant interim release, they consider the likelihood of abuse or if the defendant is a lifelong offender. Yeah, that's not going to work here.
Both Germany and the United States had commented on the arrest in March.
The detention of Mr. Kejriwal and the measures taken against opposition organisations in India are being carefully monitored by the US, according to Mathew Miller, a spokeswoman for the US State Department.
"We encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes [in both cases]," stated the attorney.
A "fair and impartial trial as India is a democratic nation" was the goal of Germany's foreign ministry in regards to Mr. Kejriwal's prosecution.
To express its disapproval, India summoned high-ranking US and German officials.
According to the court, the bail is valid until June 1st, after which he will once again be required to submit to the police.
March saw Mr. Kejriwal's detention in relation to a now-scrapped alcohol sales regulation; he was a previous anti-corruption campaigner.
He has referred to his detention as "illegal" and refuted the accusations.
Last month, the chief minister took his case to the Supreme Court after the refusal of bail by the Delhi High Court. The Enforcement Directorate, India's financial crimes department, vehemently opposed his bail in court.
Two days before India's general election results are expected, on 2 June, a bench consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta announced that Mr. Kejriwal will be required to surrender.
Upon his release, Mr. Kejriwal will be able to campaign for the election, according to the court, but he will not be able to carry out any official tasks.
Just days after the election dates were published, Mr. Kejriwal, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was detained on March 21. He joined two other AAP leaders in being imprisoned for this matter.
The Enforcement Directorate said he took bribes from booze magnates. The accusation has been disputed by the party.
Opposition parties, including Mr. Kejriwal's, were allegedly denied a fair chance to compete in the legislative election due to the politically driven move. Officials from India's investigation authorities said they were just carrying out their duties.
Though he was incarcerated, Mr. Kejriwal maintained his office. According to his supporters, he was leading the Delhi government while incarcerated.
The incarceration of the chief minister of Delhi, who suffers from diabetes, prompted supporters to worry for his well-being.
Mr. Kejriwal and his party claimed last month that the jail administration's refusal to provide him with adequate treatment was to blame for the jump in his blood glucose levels.
But the ED believed he knowingly spiked his sugar levels with an excess of mangoes and sweets in order to get out of jail free.
A judge eventually had physicians at a prestigious medical centre decide on his insulin dosage, and he began receiving injections of the drug.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) argued that Mr. Kejriwal's bail application would be unwise since he had managed to escape their summonses nine times prior to this court hearing.
But Justice Khanna cautioned that while deciding whether to grant interim release, they consider the likelihood of abuse or if the defendant is a lifelong offender. Yeah, that's not going to work here.
Both Germany and the United States had commented on the arrest in March.
The detention of Mr. Kejriwal and the measures taken against opposition organisations in India are being carefully monitored by the US, according to Mathew Miller, a spokeswoman for the US State Department.
"We encourage fair, transparent, timely legal processes [in both cases]," stated the attorney.
A "fair and impartial trial as India is a democratic nation" was the goal of Germany's foreign ministry in regards to Mr. Kejriwal's prosecution.
To express its disapproval, India summoned high-ranking US and German officials.