Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will walk out of Tihar Jail in the evening on Friday as the Rouse Avenue court has accepted the surety bonds and issued his release warrant. The court has also accepted the request for sending the release warrant through special messenger for early release. The development comes after the Supreme Court earlier in the day granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam.
Special Judge Rakesh Syal passed the order after the advocates for Kejriwal filed a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the like amount before the court.
After hearing the whole matter, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the excise policy 'scam', saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted the relief to Kejriwal on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh, and two sureties of like amount.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in the excise policy case on March 21, was granted interim bail on May 10 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls and has been in jail since June 2 when he surrendered.
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The top court directed Kejriwal not to make any public comment on the merits of the case and added that terms and conditions as imposed in the ED case would also be applicable here.
The top court, while granting him bail in the ED case, had said that Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat and not sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanction.
The apex court also said completion of trial was unlikely to occur in the immediate future and rejected the apprehension of tampering by Kejriwal.
Justice Bhuyan, who wrote a separate judgement, concurred with Justice Kant on grant of bail. However, Justice Bhuyan questioned the timing of Kejriwal's arrest by the CBI and said the agency's aim was to frustrate grant of bail to him in the ED case.
