The Supreme Court is set to deliberate today on whether to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been under arrest since March 21 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the scrapped Delhi excise policy.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will consider the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. The court hinted at the possibility of granting interim bail, expressing its willingness to hear arguments from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before Delhi elections on May 25.
During the previous hearing, the court raised questions about Kejriwal’s official duties and statements made by AAP leaders. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, expressed opposition to Kejriwal’s bail, citing statements made by AAP leader Sanjay Singh following his release on bail in a related case.
“We are not commenting on it either way. We are just saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail,” the Supreme Court had said.
The bench also raised questions regarding Kejriwal official duties, particularly in relation to signing official documents, given his current legal predicament.
Additionally, fresh controversy erupted after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Kejriwal, alleging political funding from the banned group ‘Sikhs for Justice.’
AAP leaders denounced the LG’s recommendation as yet another political ploy orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tarnish Kejriwal’s image.
The developments come amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and ahead of Delhi elections scheduled for May 25, further intensifying the political landscape in the capital.