New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat during the tenure of his interim bail, the Supreme Court said on Friday, imposing a slew of restrictions on him as part of the bail conditions. The top court enlarged him on interim bail till June 1.
The apex court told the Delhi Chief Minister not to sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanction during the 21-day interim bail period.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, while passing the orders on an interim bail application filed by the AAP national convener, said, "He shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister 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 bench observed.
As per its orders, Kejriwal will have to furnish bail bonds equivalent to Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the jail superintendent.
Can't Comment On ED's 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 observed.
The direction was in line with the arguments advanced by the Enforcement Directorate's counsel comprising Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, impressing the top court to direct Kejriwal to not speak to the media about the case. Responding to the averments, the bench said it had already restrained AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was granted bail in the same case in April, from making any comment on the case.
The top court, while granting Kejriwal the relief, said there was no doubt about the fact that serious accusations have been made against him but he has not been convicted yet.
"He does not have any criminal antecedents. He is not a threat to the society," the bench said. In a major relief to Kejriwal, the top court granted him interim bail till June 1 to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The apex court said Kejriwal will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2. The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
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