The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will deliver its order on granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam on May 10.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who headed the bench which heard Kejriwal’s petition against his arrest by ED in the case, said, “We will pronounce the interim order (on interim bail) on Friday. The main matter related to the challenge to arrest will also be taken on the same day.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.
On Wednesday the bench had reserved its order after hearing the arguments put forth by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi who appeared for Kejriwal and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Who appeared for the Enforcement Directorate . During the hearing SG Tushar Mehta staunchly opposed showing any leniency to Arvind on account of the Lok Sabha polls and said granting interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor would amount to creating a separate class for politicians.
The bench has divided the hearing on Kejriwal’s petition against his arrest into two different parts. His main petition challenges his arrest by the ED and seeks it to be declared as illegal, while the second aspect pertains to grant of interim bail keeping in mind the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. The court has reserved the order on the issue of grant of interim bail.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the money laundering case till May 20. On April 9, the Delhi High Court had upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.