No exception made in granting interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal: SC to ED

The Supreme Court said Thursday that it has not made any exception for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in granting him interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls and "critical analysis of the judgment is welcome".

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta refused to consider claims and counters of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Kejriwal's lawyer on statements made related to the interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor.

"We have not made any exception for anybody, we said in our order what we felt was justified," the bench said, adding that critical analysis of the judgment is "welcome".

 

Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to Kejriwal's speeches in poll rallies that if people voted for AAP, he would not have to go back to prison on June 2.

"It is his assumption, we cannot say anything," the bench told Mehta.

A statement made by a senior Union minister, who was not named during the proceedings, was pointed out by advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who was appearing for Kejriwal.

The top court was hearing Kejriwal's main plea against his arrest.

On May 10, the apex court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The court has asked him to surrender on June 2.

The Delhi chief minister was arrested on March 21.

Will soon file prosecution complaint against Kejriwal, AAP in excise policy case: ED to SC

The Enforcement Directorate Thursday told the Supreme Court it will soon file a prosecution complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, "We are proposing to file the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. We will do it shortly. It is in the pipeline."

The statements were made by the ED during the hearing on Kejriwal's plea against his arrest.

The Delhi chief minister was arrested on March 21 in the case.

On May 10, the apex court granted interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1 in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. He has to surrender on June 2.

The court, however, barred him from visiting his office or the Delhi secretariat, and sign official files unless absolutely necessary for obtaining the lieutenant governor's approval.

The case relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which has now been scrapped.