May 7th 2024.
In the bustling city of New Delhi, there was a buzz surrounding the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. The Supreme Court was set to make a decision on his plea for interim bail, allowing him to campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal was facing accusations of money laundering in connection to the Delhi excise scam.
The two-judge bench, comprising of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, had reserved their order earlier in the day and were expected to announce it at 2 p.m. However, much to everyone's surprise, the judges rose without delivering their verdict. The court had heard arguments from both sides - senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi representing Kejriwal and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing the Enforcement Directorate.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also appeared for the probe agency, vehemently opposed any leniency towards Kejriwal, especially due to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. He argued that granting interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor would create a separate class for politicians. The bench had divided the hearing on Kejriwal's petition into two parts - one challenging his arrest by the ED and the other seeking interim bail during the elections. The court reserved its order on the issue of interim bail.
Before adjourning for the day, the judges informed that they would be sitting in different combinations the next day. If they had time after hearing the cases listed for the day, they would resume hearing Kejriwal's plea. Justice Khanna stated that if not the next day, then possibly on Thursday or the following week, the court would continue the proceedings. However, he did not specify a specific timeline for the verdict.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court extended Kejriwal's judicial custody till May 20 in the money laundering case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja granted the extension after Kejriwal was produced through a video conference. The AAP leader had been arrested on March 21 and was currently in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.
In April, the Delhi High Court had upheld Kejriwal's arrest, stating that the ED had no other option as he had repeatedly ignored summonses and refused to cooperate with the investigation. The case revolves around allegations of corruption and money laundering in the implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22.
Overall, the court proceedings had caused quite a stir, with everyone eagerly waiting for the verdict. While the judges had not given a clear indication of when the decision would be announced, the anticipation continued to build.
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