Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will today return to Tihar jail as his interim bail in a corruption case linked to the Delhi liquor policy ends. Mr Kejriwal had been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, but the court had asked him to surrender a day after the last leg of polling.
The 55-year-old has also applied for bail at a Delhi court, but the petition will be heard on June 5, and he will have to return to jail.
The AAP leader has announced that he will leave his house at 3 pm to surrender.
माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट के आदेश पर मैं 21 दिन चुनाव प्रचार के लिए बाहर आया। माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट का बहुत बहुत आभार।
आज तिहाड़ जाकर सरेंडर करूँगा। दोपहर 3 बजे घर से निकलूँगा। पहले राजघाट जाकर महात्मा गांधी जी को श्रद्धांजलि दूँगा। वहाँ से हनुमान जी का आशीर्वाद लेने कनॉट प्लेस स्थित…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 2, 2024
“The day after tomorrow, I will leave my house around 3 pm to surrender. We are fighting against tyranny, and if I have to sacrifice my life for the country, do not mourn,” Mr Kejriwal said in a public address.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Mr Kejriwal on March 21 over corruption allegations in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.
The probe agency believes that the Delhi Chief Minister played a key role in drafting the policy and seeking bribes in return for liquor licences. The agency has claimed the AAP received kickbacks of Rs 100 crore that were then used to fund its Goa and Punjab election campaigns.
The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have refuted all charges and called the arrest and case “political vendetta”, coming as it did, weeks before the election.
The Supreme Court granted him interim bail on May 10 to campaign for the elections, following which the AAP chief held a flurry of rallies across the country.
Mr Kejriwal is a key leader in an opposition INDIA alliance formed to compete against the ruling BJP in the 2024 polls.
Voting was conducted in seven phases over six weeks and results will be declared on June 4.
Exit polls have predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA will win a third consecutive win. Two of the polls have given ranges with NDA predicted to win just over 400 on the upper end.
