Modi’s opponent Kejriwal released on bail

India’s top court has released Arvind Kejriwal on bail, allowing him to campaign in an ongoing national election.

The chief minister of the capital Delhi and a key leader in an opposition alliance is the top opponent for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the ongoing elections.

He was detained in March over a long-running corruption probe. Apart from him, several other leaders also face the criminal investigation.

As per orders issued by Supreme Court Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, Kejriwal could leave custody until June 1, the last day of voting in the six-week election.

He was accused of corruption when it implemented a policy to liberalise the sale of liquor in 2021 and give up 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The policy was withdrawn the following year, but the resulting probe into the alleged corrupt allocation of licences has since seen the jailing of two top Kejriwal allies.

Kejriwal, 55, has been chief minister for nearly a decade and first came to office as a staunch anti-corruption crusader.