How Arvind Kejriwal went from 'jail to bail' in 51 days of peak election season

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has been granted temporary release by the Supreme Court till June 1, which is the last day of voting in the seven-stage 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate on 21 March in connection with the purported Delhi liquor excise policy fraud, needs to turn himself in to the jail officials by June 2.

The Enforcement Directorate earlier stated in court that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the “kingpin and key conspirator” of the Delhi excise scam. According to the ED’s remand application, Kejriwal was allegedly involved in a conspiracy to benefit specific individuals and to demand kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange for favours.

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Here’s a timeline of Kejriwal’s battle with Enforcement Directorate in courts:

10 May 2024: The Supreme Court gave interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till 1 June after he sought a release from jail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

The Delhi liquor policy-related money laundering case will see the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) named as an accused party in a new chargesheet filed by the ED. Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the AAP and the incarcerated chief minister of Delhi, would also be named as an accused in the case by the ED.

9 May 2024: In a fresh affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the ED said that ’even a contesting candidate is not granted interim bail if he is in custody for his own campaigning.'

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7 May 2024: The Supreme Court postponed its decision on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail application in a money laundering case related from the alleged Delhi excise policy scandal. The Court is expected to hear the case next on May 7 or the following week.

A Delhi court on Tuesday prolonged Kejriwal’s judicial custody till May 20.

15 April 2024: Supreme Court sent a notice to the ED about Kejriwal’s case and asked a response.

9 April 2024: The Supreme Court upheld his arrest owing to his continued refusal to help with the investigation and show up for summonses.

21 March 2024: Kejriwal has been imprisoned by the judiciary in Tihar Jail.

March 2024: Delhi Minister Atishi said that a legal team is travelling to the Registrar of the Supreme Court’s house to request a “quashing” of Arvind Kejriwal’s detention.

March 2024: Kejriwal ignored nine summonses issued by the agency for questioning. ED arrests Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

March 2024: Hours after the high court refused him respite, Kejriwal petitioned the Supreme Court for protection against any coercive action by the ED.

March 2024: The Delhi High Court declined to provide Kejriwal any protection from coercive action.

March 2024: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal files a petition with the Delhi High Court challenging ED summonses. The chief minister told the Delhi High Court that he will not appear before the ED because there is a “clear intent” to arrest him, with elections approaching.

March 2024: A sessions judge gives Kejriwal bail in response to two allegations brought by the ED against him for failing to appear in court.

February 2024: Kejriwal failed to appear for the sixth summons. AAP said that they had expressed legal concerns about the “illegal summons” of ED and had not gotten a response.

February 2024: The Delhi court exempts Kejriwal from making a personal appearance for the day.

February 2024: ED filed a court motion saying that the AAP leader did not comply with the summons.

February 2024: Kejriwal ignores the ED’s summons for the fifth time.

January 2024: The fifth summons is issued by ED.

January 2024: Kejriwal reacted to the ED’s summonses, questioning why letters were given to him while he was not an accused in the purported Delhi excise policy case.

January 2024: The ED issued a fourth summons to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, requesting him to appear for interrogation on January 18.

January 2024: Kejriwal missed the third summons alleging a plot by the Central government.

December 2023: The ED sent Kejriwal a third summons to appear before it for interrogation on January 3.

December 2023: Kejriwal rejects second summons, claiming it is ‘illegal and politically motivated’.

November 2023: Kejriwal went to Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, to address a political rally instead of responding to the ED’s first summons.

October 2023: The ED issues its first summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the liquor policy fraud.

November 2021: The Delhi government introduces a new excise policy.