SC grants bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in criminal defamation case
New Delhi, March 8, 2023
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a criminal defamation case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A bench headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia granted bail to Kejriwal on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and one surety of the like amount.
The court also directed Kejriwal to cooperate with the investigation and not to leave the country without the permission of the court.
The CBI had filed the defamation case against Kejriwal in 2018 for allegedly making defamatory statements against former CBI director Alok Verma.
In its complaint, the CBI had alleged that Kejriwal had made the defamatory statements against Verma at a press conference in 2016, in which he had accused Verma of being corrupt and of trying to shield the then Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
Kejriwal had denied the allegations and had claimed that he was being targeted by the CBI for political reasons.
The Delhi High Court had earlier rejected Kejriwal's bail plea, following which he had moved the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had on February 22 reserved its order on Kejriwal's bail plea.
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