1 week ago
10
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday granted Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal
interim bail until June 1, allowing him to participate in the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said Kejriwal, arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, will have to go back to jail on June 2.
The top court was hearing Kejriwal's plea challenging Delhi high court's order upholding his arrest in connection with alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
Here are top five bail conditions set for Kejriwal by the Supreme Court:
- Despite a request from senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, to extend the interim bail until June 5, a day after the vote counting on June 4, the bench declined the appeal. Kejriwal will have to surrender on June 2.
- The Supreme Court has prohibited Kejriwal from visiting the chief minister's office and the Delhi Secretariat."He shall be bound by the statement made on his behalf that he shall not sign official files unless it is required and necessary for obtaining clearance/ approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi," the top court said.
- Additionally, the court directed Kejriwal to refrain from commenting on his role in the money laundering case related to the excise policy scam.
- Kejriwal will be required to furnish bail bonds of Rs 50,000 with one surety of like amount for release from Tihar jail.
- The court also directed Kejriwal not to interact with witnesses or access official files connected with the case. "He will not make any comment with regard to his role in the present case; and will not interact with any of the witnesses and/or have access to any official files connected with the case," the top court said.
Here are other highlights from the verdict:
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, opposed granting interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief for poll campaigning, citing a lack of precedent.
- The bench remarked that granting Kejriwal interim bail for 21 days would not significantly impact the case, noting that the ED's Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered in August 2022, while the chief minister was arrested on March 21, 2023. The court stated, "He (Kejriwal) was out there for one-and-a-half-years. He could have been arrested earlier or after but nothing such thing happened."
- The Supreme Court said that grant of interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal will not be treated as expression of opinion on merits of case against him.
- While granting bail, the Supreme Court noted that serious accusations have been made against Arvind Kejriwal but he has not been convicted yet.
- "Arvind Kejriwal does not have any criminal antecedents and he is not a threat to society. Holistic and libertarian view is justified in view of Lok Sabha elections," the Supreme Court said while granting bail to the Delhi chief minister.
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