The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea and simultaneously dismissed a challenge to his arrest by the CBI in the alleged liquor policy scam.
The court directed the Aam Aadmi Party leader to first approach the trial court for relief.
However, AAP sources have told NDTV Mr Kejriwal will now move the Supreme Court.
First arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March, weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Mr Kejriwal has now spent 115 days in jail. This is despite the Supreme Court granting regular bail on July 12. However, that was for his arrest by the ED and not by the CBI.
The CBI had arrested Mr Kejriwal in June, days after Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court granted bail - in an order later upheld by the Supreme Court - for his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
Last month, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Mr Kejriwal, slammed the CBI's case against his client as hearsay and that the federal agency is trying implicate the Chief Minister using "presumptions and hypothesis".
"They refer to AAP spending Rs 4 crore on publicity. I wonder how much money the ruling party has spent on publicity. I wonder if CBI will ask them the question. Today there is no direct evidence, no recovery. There is pure hearsay," he said.
READ | "CBI Is Poetic": Abhishek Singhvi Pushes For Arvind Kejriwal's Bail
Mr Singhvi insisted the AAP leader met the triple test for bail - he is not a flight risk, he is unlikely to tamper with evidence or to influence witnesses.
He doubled down that Mr Kejriwal's arrest is an "insurance arrest". "I got bail thrice, in one form or another, in the ED case. Since I was arrested by the CBI, there has been no confrontation, nothing."
The CBI, meanwhile, said it had traced the money trail in the case and it amounted to Rs 44 crore.
"This money went to Goa. Kejriwal himself told his candidates don't worry about the money, contest elections," the agency's lawyer said.
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