Former Law Minister terms SC's decision to grant interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal "correct"

New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Friday welcomed Supreme Court's decision to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, and termed it a correct decision because Kejriwal has been behind bars for a long time.
He also added that the interim order is just fair and in accordance with constitutional principles.
"I think it is a correct decision because Kejriwal has been behind bars for a very long time. The interim order which has been passed today by the judges while referring the matter to the larger bench, is fully in accord with the constitution which says that the liberty of an individual cannot be incarcerated for long until it is essential. So I think they have upheld the constitutional value until the matter is decided by the larger bench on the larger issues of law, the interim bail will continue," Kumar told ANI.
"Although the judges have said that the larger bench would be entitled also to modify the interim bail order. In my view, the interim order is just fair and in accord with the constitutional principles," he added.
The apex court today granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy, registered by the ED.
Aam Aadmi Party on Friday hailed the Supreme Court decision to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on his plea challenging arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the alleged liquor scam case and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for "hatching a conspiracy" against the AAP.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi Minister Atishi asked the BJP to stop hatching a conspiracy against other parties and said that truth can be troubled but not defeated.
"BJP knew that he (Arvind Kejriwal) has been granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, they know that he will get bail by the Supreme Court too. That is why, they hatched another conspiracy and the day on which the bail hearing was scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court, they made CBI arrest Arvind Kejriwal a day before that. Why was he arrested by the CBI? Because if he received bail in the ED case, he would come out of jail and work for the people of Delhi 10 times faster," Atishi said.
Atishi asked the BJP why Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI and asked it to "end its arrogance".
"I would like to tell the BJP today, one after the other - every court in this country has exposed your conspiracy... every court is granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal. I would like to tell the BJP, end your arrogance and stop hatching conspiracy against other parties. Truth can be troubled but not defeated," she added.
A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna referred to his petition challenging his arrest by the ED to a larger bench.
Supreme Court while granting interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case observed that the Delhi Chief Minister has suffered incarceration of 90 days and it's conscious that he is an elected leader. The top court had reserved the verdict on Kejriwal's plea on May 17.
On April 9, the High Court dismissed his plea for release from jail and rejected his argument of political vendetta.
Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. (ANI)