New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, was released from Tihar jail on Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
Kejriwal's lawyers furnished surety bonds in order for the release before the special CBI judge, citing the Supreme Court ruling.
Upon his release, the Delhi CM was welcomed by a large crowd of AAP leaders and supporters.
Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, and AAP leaders were also present and accompanied Kejriwal to his official residence. The AAP leader held a roadshow from the jail to the CM's residence.
"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 powers who are trying to weaken the country and divide the country," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, while addressing supporters outside jail.
AAP supporters were earlier pictured celebrating outside the CM's residence by bursting crackers.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kejriwal, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. The apex court also put certain conditions on Kejriwal's release, including that he shall not make any public comments about the case and shall be present for all hearings before the trial court unless exempted.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on March 21 in the case.
On May 10 this year, the apex court granted Kejriwal interim bail till June 1 in the money laundering case registered by the ED in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, however, ordered that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat. Following the court's directive, he surrendered on June 2.
On June 26, he was arrested by the CBI while in ED custody in the excise case.
On July 12, the SC granted Kejriwal interim bail in the ED case but Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court extended Kejriwal's CBI custody.
