New Delhi: Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal till May 20 in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. Kejriwal was produced before the court via video conferencing on the expiry of his custody granted earlier.
Special Judge for CBI and ED Kaveri Baweja also extended the judicial custody of co-accused Chanpreet Singh till May 20.
The order coincided with the hearing in the Supreme Court on Arvind Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case. The two-judge bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had expressed that it might consider the question of interim bail for Kejriwal.
The court said that Arvind Kejriwal is the elected chief minister of Delhi and the current circumstances are extraordinary, given the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, objected to the Supreme Court hearing arguments on interim bail and said, “What example are we setting? Are other people less important than the chief minister?”
“How can a chief minister be treated differently than an ‘Aam Aadmi.’ There can’t be any deviation only because he is a chief minister,” Mehta added.
During the hearing, the top court told Kejriwal’s counsel that granting interim bail to the chief minister would come with the condition that he refrain from carrying out official duties, as this could potentially create conflicts.
The court said that had there been no elections, it would not have given any interim relief, adding, “We do not want interference at all in the working of the government.”
The country’s financial crime-fighting agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with corruption allegations linked to Delhi’s liquor policy, charges his party has denied. He is currently under judicial custody in Tihar jail.
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