NEW DELHI (AFP) – A top political opponent of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked out of jail on Friday, ending months behind bars after being bailed in an ongoing corruption case against him.
Chief Minister of the capital Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, a key leader in an opposition alliance that battled Modi in national elections this year, was first detained in March.
He is among several opposition figures facing graft probes and his party has described his arrest as a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kejriwal walked free from a jail in the capital on Friday where he was greeted by hundreds of cheering supporters.
“They wanted to break me by jailing me,” he said after waving triumphantly at the crowd.
“My resolve is stronger than before,” he added.
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled earlier in the day that Kejriwal’s arrest was lawful but that he should be released from custody while contesting the charges against him.
“Prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty,” Supreme Court justice Surya Kant said in a verdict.
Kejriwal was bailed on a INR1-million (USD11,900) bond on the conditions that he did not make public comment on the merits of the case against him, did not visit his office and refrained from signing official files.
The politician had earlier been freed by the same court for several weeks to allow him to campaign in this year’s general election, returning to custody once voting concluded.
His administration was accused of corruption when it implemented a policy to liberalise the sale of liquor in the capital three years ago, surrendering a lucrative government stake in the sector.
The policy was withdrawn the following year, but the resulting probe into the alleged corrupt allocation of licences has since led to the jailing of two top Kejriwal allies.
Rallies in support of Kejriwal, who has consistently denied wrongdoing and refused to relinquish his post after his arrest, were held in numerous other big cities around India after he was taken into custody.
