Hearing Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against interim stay on his bail, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court on Monday observed that stay orders are normally not reserved and pronounced the same day.
The bench, comprising Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti, said it would like to wait for the pronouncement of the high court’s order on the matter.
Now catch your favourite game on Crickit. Anytime Anywhere. Find out how
“It’s unusual,” Justice Misra observed.
Arvind Kejriwal moved the Supreme Court on Sunday after the high court stayed his release until it pronounced its judgment on Enforcement Directorate’s plea.
The Supreme Court today told Kejriwal’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi that pronouncing any order at this stage would be prejudging the issue.
“We will be pre-judging the issue, if we pass any order at this stage. It is not some other court but the high court,” the bench told Singhvi.
It later deferred the hearing till June 26.
Singhvi had sought vacating of the interim stay on the bail order.
The lawyer said Kejriwal should be released till the Delhi high court pronounced its order. He said the Delhi chief minister isn’t a flight risk.
“I know what I am asking. This court must stay the high court order before it is being pronounced just like the high court had stayed the bail order on mere mention by the Enforcement Directorate,” he submitted.
ASG SV Raju, appearing for the ED, said the high court will soon pronounce its verdict on the agency’s stay application.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court last week granted him regular bail. The Enforcement Directorate, however, moved the high court the next day, seeking a stay on the implementation of the trial court’s order.
In the high court, ED’s lawyer called the trial court’s order perverse, lopsided and one-sided.
With inputs from PTI
