Arvind Kejriwal gets bail: Delhi CM issues first statement after walking out of Tihar jail; 'The walls of their...'

As Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Supremo Arvind Kejriwal walked out of Tihar jail after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case pertaining to the alleged excise policy scam, he took a dig at the center and said that 'the walls of their jails could not weaken his courage'. 

Addressing the party workers and supporters during the road show, Arvind Kejriwal said, "Today I want to say that I have come out of jail and my courage has increased 100 times…The walls of their jail cannot weaken the courage of Kejriwal…I will pray to god to continue showing me the right path and I will continue fighting against all the power who are trying to weaken the country and divide the country…”

“I have faced many difficulties in my life but God has supported me at every step. This time too God supported me because I was honest, right…” he added. 

Meanwhile, prominent party leaders including -- former Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Sandeep Pathak, Sanjay Singh and more -- gathered along with the workers amid incessant rain showers to welcome the AAP convener. 

Earlier on Friday, an apex court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to Kejriwal stating that 'prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty'. 

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, in a separate judgement, questioned the CBI for arresting the Delhi Chief Minister, saying that such action by CBI raises serious questions on the timing of the arrest and such an arrest by CBI only fractured the bail granted in the ED case.

Justice Bhuyan termed the arrest 'unjustified' and observed that Arvind Kejriwal should be released forthwith. 

However, it is pertinent to note that the SC applied five conditions while granting bail to the Chief Minister, these are:

1. The apex court granted bail to Kejriwal, subject to bail bonds of Rs 10 lakh.

2. The Delhi CM cannot make public comments about this case.

3. The Delhi CM should be present for all hearings before the trial court unless exempted.

4. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal can't enter the chief minister's office or the Delhi secretariat while out on bail.

5. The Delhi CM cannot sign official files unless necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanction.

CM Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

On June 26, 2024, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by CBI while he was in custody of the Enforcement Directorate in the excise case.