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A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered release of Arvind Kejriwal from jail immediately after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader furnished a bail bond in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and now Cabinet minister, Nitin Gadkari, backtracking from his earlier defiant stand.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha accepted the personal bond of Rs 10,000 filed by Kejriwal’s counsel, in compliance with an order passed by the Delhi High Court.
Kejriwal’s counsel showed to the magistrate the written consent given by the former Delhi chief minister to the suggestion of the high court to furnish a personal bond.
“It is submitted that Arvind Kejriwal has written in his own handwriting that he is filing the personal bond in compliance with the high court order. In view of this, the personal bond furnished is accepted,” the court said, adding, “Let the accused be released forthwith.”
During the hearing, advocate Rahul Mehra, who appeared for Kejriwal, told the court that their writ petition was pending before the high court and Kejriwal had agreed to file the bond. The court said the release order would be sent to Tihar Jail through a special messenger.
Kejriwal gave the letter in his handwriting when advocates Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan went to Tihar Jail to meet him after taking permission from the high court.
Earlier in the day, the high court suggested Kejriwal furnish a bail bond and get released.
He was sent to judicial custody by the magistrate on May 21 for two days. On May 23, his custody was extended by 14 days till June 6, after he refused to give a bond when he was granted bail.
Meanwhile, the court issued notices to AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai on a contempt plea also seeking action against them for their statements regarding the court order sending Kejriwal to judicial custody.
Magistrate Manocha sought responses from Sisodia and Rai on the plea filed by advocate Pankaj Mendiratta, who alleged they had made “contemptuous statements”, suggesting the court process in the defamation case against Kejriwal was “not judicious and in accordance with law but was a result of a change in political scenario”. The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on July 11.
