A jailed opponent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was granted bail by India’s highest court on Friday, enabling him to participate in the ongoing national election campaign.
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, a pivotal figure in an opposition coalition formed to challenge Modi in the polls, was arrested in March due to an ongoing corruption investigation.
One of his colleagues described his arrest one month prior to the election as a “political conspiracy” carried out by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is one of several bloc leaders who are the subject of criminal investigations.
Judges Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta of the Supreme Court said that Kejriwal could be released from custody on June 1, which is the final day of the six-week election to cast ballots.
After enacting a policy to liberalize the sale of alcohol in 2021 and give up a sizable government stake in the industry, Kejriwal’s government was charged with corruption.
The following year, the policy was reversed, but not before an investigation into the purportedly dishonest licensing process resulted in the incarceration of two prominent Kejriwal allies.
Following his arrest, protests in favor of Kejriwal—who has continuously denied any wrongdoing—were staged in many other major Indian cities.
The 55-year-old Kejriwal was an outspoken opponent of corruption when she first took office and has served as chief minister for almost ten years.
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