Delhi HC to hear ED plea challenging Kejriwal’s bail in excise policy case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear the Enforcement Directorate’s plea challenging the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the 2021-22 excise policy-linked money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) petition, filed in 2024, is listed for hearing before Justice Manoj Jain. Kejriwal has since been granted relief in the case by the Supreme Court.

On July 12, 2024, the top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case while referring to a larger bench three questions on the aspect of “need and necessity of arrest” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Earlier, on June 20, 2024, Kejriwal was granted bail by a trial court on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, which was subsequently stayed by the high court on the ED’s petition.

On October 14, 2025, the high court granted a “last and final opportunity” to the agency to argue the petition. Kejriwal’s counsel objected to the “repeated” adjournments sought by the agency in the case, accusing it of prolonging the proceedings without any reason.

The AAP national convenor was arrested by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 21 and June 26, 2024, respectively, in the money laundering and corruption cases.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi LG ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.