The Indian Supreme Court has granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a prominent critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after he spent nearly half a year in prison, Bloomberg reports.
The ruling comes after Kejriwal was arrested on charges related to an alleged kickback scheme in the state’s now-scrapped liquor policy, accusations he vehemently denies.
The court ruled on Friday that keeping Kejriwal detained for an extended period without trial was a violation of his personal liberty. Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which governs Delhi, was initially arrested just weeks before India’s general election began in April.
His party accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using federal agencies to target opposition leaders in an attempt to undermine them before the elections. The BJP has consistently denied these allegations.
Kejriwal was granted bail and released during the election period but was returned to jail just two days before the election results were announced on June 4, after his bail was revoked.
Two other senior AAP leaders are also facing charges related to the same liquor policy case and have spent extended periods in jail before being granted bail. However, all the cases are yet to go to trial.
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to Kejriwal has been met with mixed reactions. While some see it as a victory for democratic principles and a blow to the BJP’s alleged misuse of investigative agencies, others argue that the case is still ongoing and the final verdict is yet to be reached.
