Recently, a Delhi court extended Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s judicial custody until May 20 in the money laundering case associated with the now-defunct excise policy. Kejriwal appeared before the court via videoconferencing as his earlier custody had expired.
Special Judge for CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, also extended the judicial custody of co-accused Chanpreet Singh until May 20.
Interestingly, this order coincided with the Supreme Court hearing on Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, the two-judge bench, hinted at considering the question of interim bail for Kejriwal.
The court acknowledged that Arvind Kejriwal is the elected Chief Minister of Delhi, and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections make the circumstances extraordinary. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, objected to the Supreme Court entertaining arguments on interim bail, emphasizing that treating the Chief Minister differently from an ordinary citizen would set a problematic precedent.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court indicated that Kejriwal would be required to refrain from carrying out official duties to avoid potential conflicts if interim bail were granted. The court also emphasized that it did not want any interference in the functioning of the government, especially during the elections.
The country’s financial crime-fighting agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 based on corruption allegations related to Delhi’s liquor policy, an accusation that his party vehemently denies. Currently, he remains in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.
