The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it would hear on July 5 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

The counsel for Kejriwal mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela which said it would be heard on Friday.

Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, appearing for Kejriwal, asserted that the applicant was taken into illegal custody without following the due procedure of law and he has filed a bail plea.

As the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, Justice Manmohan said, “Let the learned judge go through the papers. We will have it day after.” The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

He has already challenged his arrest in the CBI case and the plea is pending before the high court. The court had issued notice and asked the CBI to file its reply while listing it for arguments on July 17.

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court's order was stayed by the high court.

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 CBI and ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.

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