Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal granted bail – DW – 09-13-2024

The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the prime minister of India’s capital and a leading political opponent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal has been in custody for months on suspicion that his party accepted bribes in exchange for liquor licenses.

A two-judge court ruled that the leader’s arrest was lawful but that he should be released while he fought the charges.

“Prolonged detention amounts to unjustified deprivation of liberty,” Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant said in the verdict.

Why was Kejriwal arrested?

Kejriwal was first arrested in March by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED), a central agency created to combat financial crime.

The legislature’s opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was accused by the government-run agency of accepting 1 billion rupees (US$11.9 million, €11.05 million) in bribes in connection with a 2021 alcohol sales policy.

In July, he was released on bail in the ED case, but remained in the custody of the federal police, who also arrested him in a corruption case linked to the same policy.

Kejriwal and his party deny the allegations and claim the arrests were “politically motivated”.

His arrest sparked much speculation as it came just weeks before the country’s national elections.

The Modi government has rejected these claims.

The incident has also drawn international condemnation, with Delhi summoning German and American diplomats over their remarks. Several other opposition politicians have also been embroiled in corruption allegations, which they say are aimed at weakening potential challengers to Modi.

Kejriwal founded the AAP, which means Party of the Common Man, with the promise to rid the political system of corruption.

He has been the Chief Minister of Delhi for over ten years.

mk/kb (AFP, Reuters)