- ED appeals Kejriwal's release in the Delhi High Court.
- The court stays Kejriwal's release until it can decide on the appeal.
- A decision on the appeal is expected in “two or three days.”
NEW DELHI: An Indian court on Friday halted the release from prison of one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main opponents, a day after the latter was granted bail in a long-running corruption case, according to the reports.
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister and leader of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, denies the allegations as a “political conspiracy” by Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He was released to campaign during India's weeks-long general election, but returned to prison after the election ended this month.
A lower court ordered his release on Thursday night, but before he could leave jail on Friday, the country's main economic crime investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), appealed to the High Court. of Delhi.
He suspended his release until he could decide on the appeal, local media reported.
The decision could come in “two or three days”, legal news portal living law posted on the social media platform X.
Kejriwal is one of several opposition leaders in India under criminal investigation for several corruption-related probes, which Modi's opponents say are being used by the prime minister to weaken potential rivals.
The 55-year-old has been chief minister of Delhi, the region that includes the capital New Delhi, for almost a decade.
He first rose to prominence as an anti-corruption crusader, but his own government was accused of corruption when it liberalized liquor sales in 2021.
His party is a key member of the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the main opposition Congress party, which defied polls and expectations to deprive Modi's BJP of its overall parliamentary majority in the election.
