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.
As senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned Kejriwal’s plea, a vacation bench of Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice K V Viswanathan asked the senior advocate why the application was not mentioned last week before a vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta.
Justice Datta was on the bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna that had passed the May 10, 2024, order releasing Kejriwal on interim bail for 21 days to campaign in the ongoing general elections. The bench had also on May 17, reserved order on Delhi Chief Minister’s plea against arrest by ED and the subsequent remand.
Noting that the Kejriwal’s application for the extension of interim bail by 7-days has been filed in a matter in which the judgment has already been reserved, Justice Maheshwari said that it would be appropriate if the Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud takes a call on the listing of the application.
“This is a heard and reserved matter. We cannot do anything. Place before CJI for appropriate orders”, the bench said as Singhvi said that Kejriwal has sought “only 7 days extension. This is just a medical extension and not an abuse of liberty.”
On May 17, the top court had reserved its verdict on Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the subsequent remand.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21, 2024, by the Directorate of Enforcement in connection with his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy case and was released by the top court on May 10 on interim bail for 21 days to campaign in the ongoing general election to Lok Sabha. As per May 10 order, Kejriwal has to surrender before jail authorities on June 2, 2024.