Arvind Kejriwal: No relief for Delhi CM on his bail plea, to return to jail on Sunday

A Delhi court on Saturday deferred the bail hearing of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to June 7. That means, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo will now have to return to Tihar jail tomorrow. June 2  was the deadline of the interim bail that enabled him to campaign for the AAP and the Opposition bloc INDIA.

During Kejriwal’s bail plea hearing at the Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday, representatives of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) contended that Supreme Court directives prohibited him from seeking an interim bail extension, permitting only a regular bail application. 

The ED has opposed the bail petition filed by Kejriwal over alleged money laundering linked to the Delhi liquor policy case. It informed Special Judge Kaveri Baweja that Mr Kejriwal has suppressed facts and made false statements, including about his health.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Raju on Saturday emphasized that according to the Supreme Court’s order, bail may be granted solely if the individual is in custody, thereby invalidating an interim bail request as Chief Minister Kejriwal is not currently detained. Furthermore, the ED asserted that Kejriwal had withheld critical information regarding the nature of medical tests he needs to undergo and noted that he had filed a similar petition with the Supreme Court.

The ED objected, arguing that a trial court cannot release a person without following Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, a power exclusively held by the High Court and the Supreme Court.