Supreme Court on Friday said that it will look into granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 7 for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The Supreme Court asked both the parties - Enforcement Directorate and Arvind Kejriwal's counsel, to come prepared on Tuesday for the debate on interim bail.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, that the hearing on Kejriwal's plea against arrest is likely to take time and therefore, the court was considering hearing the probe agency on interim bail to him. Raju said, "We are not saying anything on whether bail will be given or not. If bail is granted, then what can be the conditions, all the parties have to answer this."
The top court also asked ED whether CM Kejriwal can still sign important files. The agency needs to answer this on Tuesday. The bench of justices further asked, "As per the provision, why has the investigating agency not attached the property of accused Kejriwal till now?"
The top court asked Raju to come prepared for arguments on the interim bail plea on May 7. The bench is hearing Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the ED. The Delhi chief minister is currently lodged in Tihar Jail here under judicial custody after his arrest on March 21. The top court issued the ED a notice on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal's plea.
On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal's arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with 'little option' after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation. The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
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