Supreme Court Adjourns Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Plea to June 26

Supreme Court Adjourns Arvind Kejriwal's Bail Plea to June 26. (ANI Photo)

Dil Bar Irshad | June 24, 2024 | 01:44 PM IST | Breaking News, India, Politics | Follow on Google News

Supreme Court Adjourns Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Plea to June 26

Supreme Court Adjourns Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Plea to June 26

Key Highlights:

1. Supreme Court finds High Court’s interim stay on Kejriwal’s bail “unusual”.
2. Kejriwal’s bail granted by trial court on June 20, stayed by High Court on June 21.
3. Final High Court order on bail stay expected shortly.

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to June 26, challenging the Delhi High Court’s interim stay on his bail in the Delhi excise policy case, investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A vacation bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti noted the unusual nature of the High Court’s decision to grant an interim stay on Kejriwal’s bail without issuing a final order.

“In stay matters, judgments are not reserved but passed on the spot. What has happened here is unusual. We will have it (the case before it) the day after,” remarked the bench.

On June 21, the High Court ordered an interim stay on Kejriwal’s bail while reserving its final order, following a plea from the ED seeking to prevent Kejriwal’s release. Kejriwal subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju informed the bench that the High Court would soon pronounce its final order on the stay application and requested an adjournment. The Supreme Court agreed, deeming it appropriate to wait for the High Court’s final order, expected within a day or two.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, questioned the High Court’s procedure of granting a stay on bail on the first day of hearing, calling it unprecedented. “Suppose the High Court dismisses ED’s appeal, how does the judge compensate for the time he (Kejriwal) lost?” Singhvi argued, pointing out that the order was passed without reasoning and before arguments were heard.

The Supreme Court noted that passing an order now would pre-judge the issue, recognizing the High Court’s authority in the matter. Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, also representing Kejriwal, emphasized that Kejriwal has no criminal antecedents and is not a flight risk.

On June 20, a trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The following day, the ED urgently petitioned the High Court to challenge the bail order. The High Court, after extensive hearings, reserved its final order and stayed Kejriwal’s release pending the pronouncement.

(Inputs from ANI)

Dil Bar Irshad

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