A Delhi court on Thursday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the bail plea submitted by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja has directed the ED to file its response to Kejriwal’s bail plea by Saturday. The judge also sought the ED’s response on another plea by Kejriwal seeking one-week interim bail on medical grounds, in case his regular bail plea is not granted.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, alleged that there were “several suppressions” in Kejriwal’s bail plea and requested at least two days to file a comprehensive reply, stating he wanted to “bring everything on record.” Raju also noted that Kejriwal’s health did not seem to hinder his campaign efforts in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and suggested the bail plea was filed late to give the ED insufficient time to respond. “His conduct doesn’t entitle him for any orders today,” the ASG remarked.
Kejriwal is currently on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court until June 1. The court will hear arguments on his interim bail application on June 1 and on his regular bail application on June 7.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court registry refused an urgent listing of Kejriwal’s plea seeking a seven-day extension of his interim bail for undergoing medical tests. The registry stated that since Kejriwal was given liberty to move the trial court for regular bail, the plea was not maintainable.