Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar jail on Sunday, 21 days after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail. The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi sent him to judicial custody until June 5, following an application from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 20 seeking his judicial custody.
Kejriwal appeared before the court via video conferencing from jail. The ED requested a 14-day extension of his judicial custody, citing the pending application which was not addressed earlier due to Kejriwal’s interim bail for Lok Sabha campaigning. Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of the Rouse Avenue Court decided to extend his custody until June 5.
The ED argued for Kejriwal’s judicial custody, stating, “Arvind Kejriwal has been made an accused, and since the cognisance is pending, we are praying for judicial custody of him,” as quoted by ANI. However, Kejriwal’s advocates, Rishikesh Kumar and Vivek Jain, opposed the application, highlighting that Kejriwal’s arrest in the excise policy case has been challenged in the Supreme Court, with an order on his petition reserved.
On Saturday, the court reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s fresh interim bail plea for seven days on medical grounds related to the Excise Policy money laundering case. Kejriwal’s regular bail plea is scheduled for hearing on June 7, 2024.
AAP Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar criticized Kejriwal’s imprisonment, stating, “The investigation in this alleged liquor scam has been going on for the last two years, and there has not been a single penny of recovery from any of our leaders. They have put Arvind Kejriwal in jail without any recovery or evidence, and the people are taking note of it,” as reported by PTI.
The Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail on May 10 in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. The order, effective until June 1, barred Kejriwal from visiting the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat, and required him to surrender on June 2.
