‘Can’t sign files if granted bail’: Supreme Court tells Arvind Kejriwal

The Supreme Court is yet to deliver its decision on the interim bail plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with alleged money laundering related to the liquor policy scam.

During the hearing, the court acknowledged that Arvind Kejriwal is the elected Chief Minister of Delhi and emphasised that his request for interim bail is due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The court, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, recognised the unique circumstances surrounding the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, stating that he is not a habitual offender.

They indicated that if elections were not underway, the issue of interim bail would not arise. However, the court also raised concerns about Kejriwal’s potential interference in governance matters if released, given the nature of his alleged involvement in the liquor excise policy.

The NDTV quoted the court as saying, “…suppose we release you, and you are allowed to participate in elections, you will (also) be performing official duties… it can have cascading effects.”

Responding to these concerns, the counsel of Arvind Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, assured the court that his client would refrain from engaging with issues related to the excise case or performing official duties if granted bail.

“We make it clear… we don’t want you to be performing official duties if we release you…” the Supreme Court reiterated, “We don’t want any interference in functioning of government.”

Singhvi mentioned that Arvind Kejriwal would provide a statement indicating his intent not to sign any files during this period.

The Enforcement Directorate, opposing the bail plea of Arvind Kejriwal, argued that releasing him would set a detrimental precedent and questioned the prioritisation of election campaigning over legal proceedings. They highlighted Kejriwal’s repeated evasion of summons before his arrest and expressed concerns about the message his bail could send to the public.

In response to the Enforcement Directorate’s objections, Justice Khanna assured that the court would consider their arguments against granting interim bail. The court acknowledged the significance of Kejriwal’s arrest in the context of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the potential implications on governance and public perception.