Granting Bail To Kejriwal Will Demoralise Delhi HC: CBI In SC, Top Court Replies

New Delhi: Granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal will demoralise the Delhi High Court, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who is representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Supreme Court as it was hearing petitions seeking bail for the Delhi Chief Minister in the excise policy case.

“If SC grants bail to Arvind Kejriwal, it will demoralise Delhi High Court,” ASG SV Raju told the Supreme Court.

The top court earlier today reserved the order on Arvind Kejriwal's pleas seeking bail and challenging arrest by CBI in excise policy case.

Kejriwal Opposes CBI argument on bail petition in SC

Earlier today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vehemently opposed in the Supreme Court the CBI's argument that he should have approached the trial court first for bail in the corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, asserting it would not be fair to send the matter back to the trial court at this stage.

After protracted arguments by the counsel for the beleaguered AAP leader and the central probe agency, the court reserved its judgement on separate pleas filed by Kejriwal for bail and against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Questioning the maintainability of Kejriwal's pleas, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the central agency, submitted that even in the money laundering case in which he had challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he was sent back by the apex court to the trial court.

"He has approached Delhi High Court directly without going to sessions court. Under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), both have concurrent jurisdiction. My preliminary objection is he must first go to trial court.

"He seems to be an extraordinary person who requires different approach. When all other Aam Aaadmis (common people) go to the trial court for bail, there cannot be a special treatment for anyone," Raju told a a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

Raju said if the Supreme Court grants bail to Kejriwal, it will demoralise the Delhi High Court, while had upheld his arrest.

"Don't say that. Whatever order we pass, we will ensure nothing like that happens," the bench assured Raju.

With inputs from PTI