Excise 'scam': Kejriwal withdraws from SC plea against HC's interim stay on bail order
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal withdrew from the Supreme Court on Wednesday his plea challenging the Delhi High Court order granting an interim stay on the operation of the trial court's bail order in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.
A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti, which allowed Kejriwal to withdraw his plea, was told by the AAP leader's counsel senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi that since the high court has passed a detailed order on June 25, he would like to file a substantial appeal.
Singhvi informed the bench that new developments were taking place every day and Kejriwal has now been arrested by the CBI.
"We would like to file a substantial appeal to bring on record all relevant details and challenge the June 25 order of the high court in which bail order was finally stayed," he said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said he has filed the reply to Kejriwal's plea which may be taken on record.
The bench recorded the submission and gave Kejriwal the liberty to file the appeal.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Delhi court allowed the CBI to formally arrest Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise scam.
On Tuesday, the high court stayed the trial court order granting Kejriwal bail in the case and held that the lower court did not "appropriately appreciate" the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate.
The top court had on June 24 termed "unusual" the high court's decision to reserve the order while granting an interim stay on the operation of the trial court's order granting bail to Kejriwal in the case.
The AAP leader was arrested on March 21 by the ED and granted regular bail by the trial court on June 20.
In its bail order, the trial court had held that prima facie, Kejriwal's guilt was yet to be established and that the ED had failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime in the money laundering case.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.
According to the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), irregularities were committed while modifying the policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.
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Man kills 12-year-old nephew over property dispute in Karnataka’s Sindhanur
Sindhanur: A 12-year-old boy was killed and his mother seriously injured after a man allegedly attacked his elder brother’s family with a knife over a property dispute in Alabanur village of Sindhanur taluk on Wednesday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Nagaraj Siddappa Alvi (12). Amrutha Siddappa (42) sustained serious injuries in the attack. Police said the accused is Basavaraj Rudrappa Alvi, the younger brother of the victim boy’s father.
According to preliminary information, Basavaraj had arrived in Alabanur village on Tuesday and was staying at his mother’s house.
On Wednesday morning, he allegedly went to the house of his brother Siddappa carrying a knife. At the time, Siddappa’s wife Amrutha and children Nagaraj and Dhanush were present in the house.
Police said the accused allegedly attacked them with the knife. Nagaraj died in the incident, while Amrutha and Dhanush suffered serious injuries.
The injured were shifted to the government hospital in the city for treatment.
Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Chandrashekhar visited the spot and gathered information.
Sources said Chinnamma Rudrappa of Alabanur village has two sons Siddappa, who lives in Alabanur, and Basavaraj, who resides in Alliganur village of Siruguppa taluk.
Police suspect the long-standing property dispute between the two brothers led to the fatal attack.
