Today, the Supreme Court provided interim relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by granting him bail for a period of 21 days. However, the court directed the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to surrender on June 2, a day after the conclusion of the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections.
In its decision, the Supreme Court highlighted the delay in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) actions against Arvind Kejriwal. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, pointed out that the central probe agency had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in August 2022, yet Mr. Kejriwal was only arrested in March of the following year.
The court emphasized, “For about one and a half years he was there… The arrest could have been made afterward or before. 21 days here or there should not make any difference,” indicating the need for timely legal proceedings.
Arvind Kejriwal’s request for release from jail was based on his intention to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. He was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam. Presently, he remains in judicial custody at Tihar jail.
