Court rejects bail to Arvind Kejriwal, extends custody till June 19

New Delhi, June 5

A Delhi court on Wednesday denied interim bail to CM Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Courts rejected Kejriwal’s request for a seven-day interim bail on medical grounds. The court sent him to judicial custody till June 19, when he will appear before the vacation judge virtually from Tihar jail at 2 pm. His plea for a regular bail will come up for hearing on June 7.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, opposed the interim bail plea, stating it was not maintainable as Kejriwal was essentially seeking an extension of the Supreme Court’s interim bail order, which was not permissible.

They also emphasised mandatory rigors under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for granting bail and accused Kejriwal of suppressing facts by not disclosing his similar plea to the Supreme Court.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan, representing Kejriwal, cited his medical condition as the reason for seeking interim bail, mentioning stress-related aggravation of his diabetes and the necessity to campaign.

The Supreme Court registry had recently refused to list Kejriwal’s plea for a seven-day extension of interim bail, giving him the liberty to seek regular bail from the trial court.

Meanwhile, Delhi CM’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha met him in Tihar Jail, official sources said. Both were allowed to meet Kejriwal in the visitors’ room at 1 pm for half an hour as per the jail rules, they added.