Delhi Court Extends Arvind Kejriwal’s Jail Stay Until July 3; ED Focuses on His Role in the Case

A Delhi court on Wednesday reviewed the bail plea of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case connected to the alleged, now-scrapped excise scam, extending his jail stay until July 3.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Delhi court that the case primarily revolves around Kejriwal's role. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju stated, "The matter boils down to his role," clarifying that the allegation of Kejriwal demanding a Rs 100 crore bribe was brought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), not the ED.

During the hearing, Kejriwal’s lawyer argued, "Various chargesheets have been filed, and in none of them was he made an accused. Despite several people being arrested in the earlier stages, nothing was about him."

Previously, Additional Sessions Judge Mukesh Kumar had postponed the case after the ED requested more time to file a response.

The judge has scheduled a hearing for Saturday regarding an application filed by Arvind Kejriwal, seeking permission for his wife to join the proceedings of the medical board via video conference. This board was constituted to assess Kejriwal’s health condition and treatment. The judge directed the jail authorities to file a reply on the matter. During the proceedings, the ED requested the court to adjourn the case until June 25.

However, the judge stated that he would prioritize the accused’s convenience over that of the probe agency. “The accused is in judicial custody (JC), and not in your (ED’s) custody. If he wants some convenience, you do not have any role in that. You have no role to play. He is in JC. I will consider his convenience, not yours,” the judge asserted.

On June 5, a Delhi court had dismissed Kejriwal’s application for interim bail on medical grounds. However, the judge directed the Tihar jail authorities to ensure Kejriwal’s medical needs are met while in judicial custody.