Supreme Court may pass interim order on Arvind Kejriwal's bail on May 10

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently detained in Tihar Jail under judicial custody in connection to a money laundering case

The Supreme Court of India said that it may announce its decision regarding interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case connected to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy on May 10, according to the news agency PTI.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who led the bench hearing Kejriwal's plea against his arrest in the case, stated, "We will pronounce the interim order (on interim bail) on Friday. The main matter related to the challenge to arrest will also be taken on the same day."

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently detained in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

 

Earlier Tuesday, the Supreme Court postponed the verdict on Kejriwal's interim bail plea and suggested that the order might be announced the following week. The court expressed concerns that granting interim bail to Kejriwal, currently incarcerated, could lead to potential disruptions in official duties.

"We will give you a date for the day after tomorrow. If it's not possible, we will keep it sometime next week. Next week is going to be very difficult," stated Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta during the proceedings.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, clarified during the hearing that if released on interim bail, the chief minister would not be involved in the excise case but would continue to serve as the sitting chief minister.

Responding to Singhvi's remarks, the bench emphasised its reluctance to allow Kejriwal to resume official duties if granted interim bail to avoid any potential interference in government operations.

"We do not want interference at all in the work of the government. It's your wish that you want to continue as chief minister. Today, it is not a question of legality but propriety. We are considering the interim bail just because of elections, else we wouldn't have considered it at all," the bench asserted.

The impending decision by the Supreme Court regarding Arvind Kejriwal's interim bail has garnered significant attention, with implications for both the ongoing legal proceedings and the political landscape in Delhi.

In a separate hearing on Tuesday, a Delhi court had decided to extend the chief minister's judicial custody to March 20.

All seven Lok Sabha seats will go to polls in a single phase on May 25.