SC Registry Declines Kejriwal's Plea for Urgent Hearing on Bail Extension

The Supreme Court registry has declined Arvind Kejriwal's plea for an urgent hearing on bail extension, marking a setback in his legal battle. In this video, we delve into the details of the Supreme Court's decision and the implications for Kejriwal's case. We analyze the reasons behind the denial of the plea and the potential impact on Kejriwal's legal strategy.

Politics May 29, 2024 0 59 Add to Reading List

SC Registry Declines Kejriwal's Plea for Urgent Hearing on Bail Extension

Supreme Court Registry Rejects Urgent Hearing for Kejriwal's Plea on Extending Interim Bail

The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who was granted temporary release from judicial custody on May 10 to participate in Lok Sabha election campaigning, has been instructed by the highest court to report back to jail on June 2.

In a setback for Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court registry declined his request for an urgent hearing before a vacation bench on Wednesday. Kejriwal sought a one-week extension of his 21-day interim bail on medical grounds in the Delhi excise policy case. The registry deemed Kejriwal's plea "not maintainable" and referred to earlier Supreme Court orders that restricted his temporary bail until June 1, giving him the option to pursue regular bail from the trial court.

The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who was released from judicial custody on May 10 to participate in Lok Sabha election campaigning, has been instructed by the highest court to report back to jail on June 2.

Kejriwal's legal team is currently exploring their options considering the significant legal hurdle faced by the Delhi CM. Following the Supreme Court's previous directive, one possibility is to seek regular bail from the trial court.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal appealed to the top court for an extension of his bail, citing the urgent need for medical examinations, including PET-CT scans and Holter monitoring, to assess potential serious health issues.

A day ago, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, brought up the extension plea before the vacation bench consisting of justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan. However, the bench declined to grant an urgent hearing, stating that it would be more appropriate for the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to decide on the matter, as proceedings in Kejriwal's petition have already concluded for judgment.

Subsequently, Kejriwal's legal team attempted to have the plea listed before a bench through the court registry, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The registry deemed the plea "not maintainable" and referred to previous orders that clearly outlined the terms of Kejriwal's temporary release. It emphasized that any further requests for bail should be directed to the trial court.

Additionally, it was noted that the Chief Minister (CM) was granted the freedom to seek regular bail from the trial court without any prejudice to his rights and arguments. This directive came after a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta of the top court reserved its judgment on Kejriwal's plea to invalidate his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The registry emphasized that since the Supreme Court had reserved judgment on May 17 after concluding arguments in Kejriwal's petition challenging the validity of his arrest, his new plea for an extension of interim bail is unrelated to the main petition. Therefore, it cannot be processed for listing in the same matter.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. After the Delhi High Court dismissed his challenge to the ED arrest on April 9, the Chief Minister (CM) approached the Supreme Court.

On May 10, the top court granted Kejriwal temporary bail until June 1, rejecting the ED's argument that his release for political campaigning would imply preferential treatment for politicians. The bench of justices Khanna and Datta continued hearing Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest and reserved its judgment on May 17. The Supreme Court is currently closed for the summer break and will reopen on July 8. While vacation benches continue to sit during the break, the verdict on Kejriwal's petition is expected only after regular functioning resumes in July.

On May 27, Kejriwal filed an application requesting the court to extend his interim bail by a week, citing "alarming" health complications he experienced during his recent custody in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and the urgent need for medical tests.

According to the application, Kejriwal suffered significant health deterioration during his custody from March 21 until May 10, partly due to the "negligent behavior" of jail authorities. The plea mentioned a weight loss of approximately 6-7 kilograms, which he has been unable to regain despite resuming his previous lifestyle. Moreover, recent medical tests revealed elevated blood glucose and ketone levels, suggesting potential kidney-related complications and damage, as per Kejriwal.

Despite these alarming health issues, the application argued, Kejriwal only managed to undergo a health check-up at home by a senior physician from Max Hospitals. Following this examination, the physician prescribed a series of comprehensive tests to assess Kejriwal's health condition before his surrender. The application stressed the importance of these tests, including whole-body PET-CT scans and Holter Monitor Tests, in diagnosing potential ailments such as kidney damage, cardiac irregularities, and even cancer.

Kejriwal was the third AAP leader arrested in the excise policy case. Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested in this case on February 23, 2023, and remains in custody. AAP MP Sanjay Singh, however, was released on bail on April 2 after the top court questioned why Singh should be kept behind bars after serving six months in jail when there appears to be no concrete evidence against him, and no money has been recovered linking him to the alleged money laundering offense. The leaders have all denied the charges.