NEW DELHI: The
Supreme Court
on Friday said it may consider hearing Arvind Kejriwal’s
interim bail plea
due to
elections in Delhi
if the arguments in excise policy-linked money laundering case takes time. A bench of
Justice Sanjiv Khanna
and Justice
Dipankar Datta
asked the central probe agency to come prepared for hearing on interim bail plea on May 7.
The apex court, however, asked the concerned parties not to jump to any conclusion.
“We are saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail,” the bench said.
During the last hearing, the top court had pulled up the central agency over the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest.
“Liberty is very exceedingly important, you can’t deny that. The question is with regard to the timing of the arrest, which they have pointed out, the timing of the arrest, soon before the general elections,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who is appearing on behalf of the probing agency.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, Kejriwal allegedly collaborated with his ministers and AAP leaders, and was involved in “demanding kickbacks” from liquor businessmen in return for favors granted through the policy.
The Delhi chief minister is currently lodged in Tihar Jail here under judicial custody after his arrest on March 21.
On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
