Supreme Court May Grant Interim Bail to Arvind Kejriwal

During today’s hearing, the Supreme Court stated that it is yet to decide on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail. It also stated that it will hear the case again on May 7.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was hearing Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against his detention and remand by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case.

The Proceedings

During the proceedings, Arvind Kejriwal’s advocate, senior attorney Abhishek Manu Singhvi, stated that the ED has yet to collect any “proceeds of crime” and that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) sets a high standard for arrest that has not been reached.

However, the ED has maintained that the arrest was based on material evidence. “Criminal” politicians cannot expect immunity from arrest simply because they want to campaign for elections, the agency responded in an 87-page affidavit.

The court inquired whether Kejriwal, who has been detained in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since April 1, can still sign official documents or not.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the ED to respond to the queries about Kejriwal’s arrest, particularly the timing of it soon before the general elections.

Court’s Observations

While presiding over this matter, Justice Khanna emphasized the significance of liberty, implying that it holds immense importance and cannot be disregarded. He acknowledges that the timing of the arrest, which was just before the general elections, raises a significant question.

The Supreme Court informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday that it may consider interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody in the liquor policy case, due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

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