New Delhi, Sep 13 (V7N) – India's Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister and opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case, leading to his release nearly six months after his arrest.

Kejriwal's release is expected to strengthen the morale of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of upcoming regional elections in Haryana next month and in Delhi early next year.

Kejriwal had been in custody since March, initially arrested by India's financial crime-fighting agency on charges of irregularities in Delhi's liquor policy. Although he was granted bail in July, he remained detained due to a subsequent arrest by federal police in a related graft case.

The 55-year-old leader and AAP have denied the allegations, calling the cases "politically motivated."

Justice Surya Kant, ruling on the release, emphasized that "liberty" and "prolonged incarceration" could not be justified. However, the two-judge panel was divided on the legality of the arrest, with Justice Ujjal Bhuyan questioning the timing and urging transparency in investigations.

In its response to the verdict, AAP stated, "Truth can be troubled, but not defeated." Opposition parties, including AAP, have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP of trying to create an uneven playing field ahead of the elections, claims which Modi and the BJP deny.

The U.S. and other countries had earlier called for a "fair" and impartial trial.

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