Arvind Kejriwal
No Supreme Court reprieve for Arvind Kejriwal till Delhi HC verdict; Delhi CM to remain in jail
New Delhi/IBNS: Denying Arvind Kejriwal any immediate relief, the Supreme Court on Monday refused the Delhi Chief Minister's appeal to overturn the High Court's interim stay on a bail order issued last week by a lower court in the liquor and money laundering case.
The Supreme Court said the decision of the Delhi High Court to grant interim stay on bail to the Delhi Chief Minister in the liquor policy case without passing a final order in the matter, was "unusual".
The bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti heard the appeal after Arvind Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court challenging the order passed by the Delhi High Court on June 21 staying the trial court's order which granted him bail.
According to an NDTV report, the court responded to Mr Kejriwal's arguments - that the High Court erred in staying bail without fully reading the order, and rationale, of the lower court - by saying "it would wait till the said order came on record, and the High Court had a chance to re-examine the stay - before ruling on his plea."
The apex court fixed Wednesday as the next hearing date while the High Court is expected to deliver its full verdict on Tuesday, the report said. It said it would be improper to interfere when the High Court has reserved its judgement.
In a setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo in the liquor policy case, the Delhi High Court on Friday stayed Arvind Kejriwal's bail order till the hearing of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s plea challenging the release.
The ED on Friday filed a plea challenging Kejriwal's bail in the alleged money laundering scam linked to the liquor policy case, hours ahead of the politician's scheduled release from Tihar Jail.
Kejriwal was expected to walk out of the jail on Friday evening. Kejriwal's lawyer had argued that the ED had no evidence against him.
His lawyer told the Delhi court that the ED's entire case against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief rested on statements given by those who turned approver in the case.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags.
The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.
Kejriwal and the AAP have throughout maintained the Centre has been misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.
Kejriwal was given an interim bail in May for a brief period until June 2 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls.
He went back to the jail on June 2, the day next to the last phase poll date.
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