NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused an urgent hearing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s plea for extension of his interim bail by seven days on medical grounds in the Delhi excise policy case. A two-judge bench, comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice KV Viswanathan, said the CJI would take a call on the listing of Kejriwal’s bail application.
The vacation bench said it is appropriate that the CJI takes a call on the listing of the application as it has been filed in a case in which the judgement has already been reserved.
The top court had on May 17 reserved its verdict on Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the apex court on May 10 till June 1 to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections and was asked to surrender on June 2.
As soon as senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, mentioned the application for urgent hearing, the bench said, “This is a heard and reserved matter. We cannot do anything. Place before CJI for appropriate orders.”
Singhvi, in a fresh application, said Kejriwal sought “only 7 days extension. This is just a medical extension and not an abuse of liberty”.
In the application seeking extension of a week’s time, Kejriwal has stated that he needs to undergo diagnostic tests, including a PET-CT Scan.
ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
Court summons Atishi in case over ‘poaching’ remark against BJP
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday summoned AAP Minister Atishi to appear before it on June 29 in a defamation case filed by BJP’s Delhi media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor over levelling baseless allegations of ‘poaching’ AAP legislators.
Earlier in April, the BJP issued a defamation notice to Atishi after she made allegations that she was pressured to join the party or face arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) within a month.
Launching an attack against the BJP Atishi said, “I want to ask the BJP how they formed governments in Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh without attaining majority seats. How MPs from their parties come to join the BJP.”
Delhi HC asks ED to respond to Jain’s bail plea in laundering case
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Enforcement Directorate to respond to a plea by jailed former minister Satyendar Jain seeking default bail in a money laundering case.
The court also called for the nominal roll of Jain from the jail and listed the matter for further hearing on July 9.
