India’s Supreme Court has granted bail to opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, allowing for his release after nearly six months of detention. Kejriwal, a prominent figure in the alliance challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming elections, was initially arrested in March in connection with a prolonged corruption investigation. His associates have labeled the probe as a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a ruling on Friday, a two-judge bench of India’s Supreme Court declared that while Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest was lawful, he should be granted bail while he contests the charges.
“Prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty,” Justice Surya Kant stated in the verdict.
Kejriwal’s release is expected to boost his decade-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by enabling him to campaign in upcoming regional elections in Haryana, where the party aims to gain ground. The charges against him relate to his administration’s 2021 policy to liberalize liquor sales and relinquish a profitable government stake in the sector.
The Directorate of Enforcement, India’s federal agency for investigating financial crimes, has accused Kejriwal’s party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in kickbacks from liquor contractors.
Kejriwal was initially detained in March, just weeks before the general elections. In May, the court granted him temporary bail to campaign, but he was re-arrested after the voting ended.
Kejriwal, 55, and his party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), deny the allegations, claiming the charges are “politically motivated.”
In its decision on Friday, the two-judge bench was divided on Kejriwal’s appeal against his arrest. Justice Surya Kant deemed the arrest lawful, while Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the timing of the arrest, raising serious concerns.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized that federal police must not only act with integrity but also be perceived as doing so, stating, “In a functional democracy governed by the rule of law, perception matters.”
Outside the Supreme Court, AAP members and Kejriwal’s allies celebrated the court’s decision, as seen in social media posts.
Manish Sisodia, an AAP Delhi legislator, told reporters that “the truth has prevailed and lies have been exposed.”
Opposition parties have argued that Kejriwal’s arrest was a tactic by Modi’s BJP to skew the electoral playing field, a claim denied by Modi and the BJP. Numerous countries, including the United States, have called for a “fair” and impartial trial.
On Friday, the BJP stated that Kejriwal’s bail does not imply his innocence.
