On Tuesday, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court declined to issue a directive regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea for a one-week extension of his interim bail in the Delhi excise policy case
Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan stated that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) would decide on the listing, as the application for the bail extension pertains to a case where the judgment has already been reserved.
The Supreme Court had reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 17.
“This matter has been heard and reserved. We cannot intervene. It was heard and reserved on May 17. Refer to the CJI for appropriate orders,” the Court said.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, had previously requested an urgent listing, emphasizing that the Chief Minister needs to surrender on June 1 in the money laundering case filed by the ED.
“We are only asking for a 7-day extension for medical reasons, not as an abuse of liberty,” Singhvi argued.
However, the Court maintained that only the CJI could make a decision regarding the listing.
The Court also inquired why the application was not mentioned before Justice Dipankar Datta, who headed a vacation bench the previous week.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta had granted interim bail to Kejriwal until June 1 on May 10 to allow him to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Responding to Justice Maheshwari’s question, Singhvi explained that the medical prescription was issued only the day before, which is why the application was not submitted earlier.
The Court reiterated its inability to decide on the listing and referred the matter to the CJI for an appropriate order.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21.
The ED’s investigation into Kejriwal originates from a 2022 case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The complaint alleges that AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, conspired to exploit the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22 to benefit certain liquor vendors.
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