Akshata Sharma
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Delhi Chief Minister #ArvindKejriwal being granted bail is of significant legal import because of the high bar set by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for bail.
Section 45 (1) of the statute says that no accused shall be released on bail unless "the Court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail".
In effect, the bail order potentially puts a question mark on the Enforcement Directorate's case against Kejriwal.
Kejriwal's deputies and others, like NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, faced long- incarcerations before bail.
Critics argue the provision is draconian, equating long pre-trial detentions to serving a sentence.
Despite Supreme Court's 2017 ruling deeming it unconstitutional, the provision was later reinstated.
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