New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who filed a plea against the Delhi High Court order upholding his arrest by the CBI in a corruption case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan told senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, “We are not granting any interim relief…” Singhvi urged the bench to give the shortest possible date for the matter, possibly for next week. “I am only requesting next week," Singhvi said.
The apex court issued notice on Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and remand by the central agency in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam and scheduled the matter for hearing on August 23. The top court was also hearing a separate plea of Kejriwal seeking bail in the case.
The Delhi High Court had on August 5 upheld the arrest of the chief minister as legal, and said there was no malice in the acts of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which demonstrated how the AAP supremo could influence witnesses who could muster the courage to depose only after his arrest.
During the hearing, Singhvi said just when the judgment in the ED’s case was about to be delivered, the CBI arrested his client. He said Kejriwal is facing health issues while pressing for interim bail for him. However, Justice Kant said the court will not grant him interim relief now and it will issue notice on his plea. The apex court was informed that there are three orders, one in May and the other in June, and a regular bail by trial court in ED case which was later stayed.
