NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s separate pleas for regular and interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam.
Issuing notice to the ED on Kejriwal’s bail pleas, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja also directed the probe agency to file its replies by Saturday—the next date of hearing.
A day after the Supreme Court Registry refused to list for hearing his plea seeking extension of his 21-day interim bail by seven days on medical grounds, Kejriwal on Thursday filed two bail applications – one for regular bail and the other for one-week interim bail on medical grounds to undergo certain tests, in case his regular bail plea was dismissed.
Citing high ketone and blood glucose levels, sudden unexplained 6-7-kg weight loss and possible life threatening conditions, Kejriwal had earlier urged the top court to extend his interim bail by seven days.
Arrested on March 21 by the ED – the AAP National Convener was released on a 21-day interim bail till June 1 by the top court on May 10 to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. He was ordered to surrender on June 2.
The top court had barred him from visiting the CM’s Office and Delhi Secretariat and asked him not to sign official files unless it’s required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of Delhi LG. It had also restrained him from commenting on his role in the case against him and ordered him not to interact with witnesses and/or have access to official files connected with the case
This is for the first time that Kejriwal is seeking bail in the money laundering case. He had earlier moved the Delhi High court seeking quashing of his arrest but his plea was dismissed on April 9.
The Supreme Court had on May 17 reserved its verdict on Kejriwal’s petition challenging the April 9 verdict of the high court. The top court had, however, said ‘without prejudice to his rights and contentions’, Kejriwal was free to move the trial court for grant of bail “in accordance with law.”
The Registry had on Wednesday termed Kejriwal’s application for extension of his interim bail “not maintainable” on the ground that he was given liberty by the top court to move the trial court for regular bail. It had pointed out that a Bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna – which on May 10 granted 21-day interim bail to Kejriwal – has already reserved its judgment on his petition challenging his arrest by the ED.
The ED alleged that Kejriwal was the kingpin and the key conspirator of the excise scam who demanded Rs 100 crore as AAP national convener from co-accused and that he was part of a conspiracy to intentionally leave loopholes in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, to benefit certain liquor sellers.
The Delhi High Court had on April 9 upheld his arrest as he was the national convener of AAP which allegedly used proceeds of the crime in the 2022 Goa Assembly polls.
On April 2, the top court had granted bail to senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh – who was arrested by the ED on October 4, 2023 — in an excise policy scam-linked money laundering case after the ED said it had no objection to his release on bail. However, it had clarified that the concession given to Singh will not be treated as a precedent.
Two other senior AAP leaders – former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain – continue to be in jail in separate money laundering cases.
PTI