NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday extended Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s judicial custody till August 20 in a case filed by the CBI in connection with the state’s now-scrapped excise policy.
The Delhi high court recently upheld the arrest of Kejriwal by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. Kejriwal was initially arrested by the CBI on 26 June while he was in Tihar Jail, where he was already in judicial custody due to a related money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Kejriwal, who had been arrested by the ED on 21 March, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on 20 June.However, the high court stayed the trial court’s order.
Subsequently, on 12 July, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the money laundering case.
The excise policy at the centre of the controversy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution.
According to the CBI and ED, the policy was modified in a way that led to irregularities and undue favours being extended to licence holders.
(With inputs from agencies)