📷 Image Credits: Mint
The Supreme Court of India on Monday, June 24, reserved its order on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea opposing the Delhi High Court’s stay on bail granted by a trial court in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. The apex court said it would like to hear the Delhi High Court’s verdict and scheduled the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s bail plea hearing for June 26.
The Delhi High Court had paused Arvind Kejriwal’s release on Friday after the trial court granted him bail on June 20. The Supreme Court’s vacation bench noted that the Delhi High Court had instructed the investigative agencies to submit written arguments by June 24, with a decision expected shortly after that.
The Supreme Court pointed out that the Delhi High Court’s decision to stay CM Kejriwal’s bail was termed as ‘unusual’. Typically, judgments in stay matters are passed immediately, but in this case, the order was reserved. If the petitioner believes that the high court erred in granting the stay on the interim order, the Supreme Court assured that it would not repeat that error.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Arvind Kejriwal, requested the lifting of the interim stay on the bail order, stating that CM Kejriwal poses no flight risk. Singhvi urged the bench to suspend the high court’s decision before it is finalized, emphasizing the need for immediate action. The Supreme Court has now scheduled the hearing for June 26, keeping a close eye on the developments in the case.
Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti of the Supreme Court reiterated that the High Court’s approach in this matter was unusual and that proper procedures needed to be followed. As the legal battle surrounding Arvind Kejriwal’s bail continues, the nation waits for further updates on the final decision by the judicial system.
