CBI formally arrests Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case

Pic/PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday. The development came after the Rouse Avenue Court allowed the CBI to examine Kejriwal in the courtroom and asked it to place on record the material that they have for his arrest, reported news agency ANI.

Kejriwal was brought to Rouse Avenue Court by CBI on Wednesday morning for a hearing in the Delhi excise policy case where Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal also accompanied him.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will also hear Arvind Kejriwal's petition against the Delhi High Court order putting an interim stay on his bail in the money laundering case linked to liquor excise policy, reported ANI.

The probe agency had on Tuesday examined the AAP supremo in Tihar Jail and recorded his statement related to the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) lawyer also posted on X and said, "The dirty tricks of the Modi government fears the release of Arvind Kejriwal by SC has asked CBI to arrest him in the same matter almost a year after he joined the investigation. What it shows nothing changed the vindictive mindset of the BJP. Shame."

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of section 45 of Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.

The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court, reported ANI.

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti observed that the decision of the High Court to grant an interim stay on Kejriwal's bail without passing a final order in the matter was "unusual", reported ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)