New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred the plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking seven-day extension of his interim bail, to the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud for fixing a date for hearing.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, mentioned the matter for listing before a bench comprising justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan. Singhvi urged the bench to list the application for hearing tomorrow . “This is Delhi CM matter, where tests are prescribed for him. We are asking for a seven days’ extension”, said Singhvi.
Justice Maheshwari said the matter has already been heard on May 17 and the court had reserved the judgment. Singhvi said that was the main matter and he was referring to an application, which was filed seeking interim bail extension. “We will refer the mentioning memo to the CJI. Let the CJI take a decision”, said Justice Maheshwari.
Singhvi said there is an urgency because his client had got a twenty-day window for campaigning and, now, Kejriwal seeks a seven-day extension of interim bail for medical tests, and stressed, “it is not an abuse, as I am asking for only seven-day extension”. “We will send it to the CJI and the CJI will take a decision”, said the bench.
The bench queried Singhvi, why this application was mentioned before Justice Dipankar Datta, who was part one of the vacation benches last week. A bench comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had reserved the judgment on Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy case. Justice Viswanathan asked Singhvi why he did not mention the matter last week?
Singhvi argued these are prescription tests obtained by three doctors’. “One of the learned members of the bench held court (till last week)”, said the bench. Singhvi said he has no problem putting up the matter before the two judges’ even virtually. “In heard and reserved matter, we are not supposed to do anything….let the CJI (decide)”, said the bench.
Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court seeking extension of his interim bail by seven more days, citing health grounds. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case connected with the Delhi liquor policy case.
In a fresh plea, the AAP leader has sought extension of the interim bail by seven more days citing health grounds and also pointed out that he has lost seven kgs.
According to sources, Kejriwal has to undergo PET-CT scan and other tests. Kejriwal’s plea contended that he seeks an extension of his interim bail by a week, during which he can get the prescribed done and obtain results of the same. The plea said Kejriwal will get all these tests done in the week commencing from June 3 to June 7 and then surrender on June 9.
The plea said during the incarceration from March 21 to May 10, the chief minister suffered a lot of health-related complications which are also "partly attributable to the negligent and callous behaviour of the jail authorities".
AAP has claimed that Kejriwal lost around six to seven kg of weight in the jail and has not been able to regain even after his release.
The plea contended that in the meantime, recent test reports confirm that the appellant has also developed an unusually high blood glucose level as well as high ketone levels in urine, which indicate that in addition to increased blood sugar level, the appellant may have also developed kidney related complications and kidney damage. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Kejriwal was the kingpin and key conspirator of the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. The ED had vehemently opposed his interim bail for the purpose of campaigning. The matter relates to the execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
