Indian opposition leader, Arvind Kejriwal, granted bail

India's Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal — the chief minister of India's capital and a key political opponent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal has been behind bars for months on allegations that his party took kickbacks in exchange for liquor licences.

A two-judge bench ruled that the leader's arrest was lawful, but he should be released while he contests the charges.

"Prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty," Supreme Court justice Surya Kant said in the verdict.

Why was Kejriwal arrested? 

Kejriwal was first taken into custodyin March by India's Enforcement Directorate (ED), a central agency established to fight financial crimes.

The lawmaker's opposition party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was accused by the government-controlled agency of accepting 1 billion rupees ($11.9 million, €11.05 million) in bribes over a 2021 liquor sale policy. 

In July, he was granted bail in the ED case but remained in the custody of the federal police which also arrested him on a graft case related to the same policy.

Kejriwal and his party has denied the allegations and claimed the arrests were "politically motivated."

His arrest led to widespread speculation since it came weeks before the country's national elections.

Modi's government has rejected these claims.

The incident also drew international condemnation. Delhi summoned German and US diplomats over their comments. Several other opposition politicians have also been caught up in corruption allegations, which they claim are aimed at weakening potential challengers to Modi.

Kejriwal launched the AAP, which translates as Common Man's Party, with a vow to rid the political system of corruption.

He has been the chief minister of Delhi for over a decade.

mk/kb (AFP, Reuters)