Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal to return to Tihar Jail today, no relief from Court

New Delhi, June 2: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will return to Tihar jail on Sunday as his interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam ends on Saturday (June 1).

Kejriwal was given interim bail by the Supreme Court to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections on May 10 and was asked to surrender to Tihar jail on June 2.

The Delhi CM had earlier moved the Supreme Court for an extension of interim bail. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected his plea, stating that since he was given liberty to move the trial court for regular bail, the plea here is not maintainable.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday reserved the order on the interim bail plea moved by Kejriwal, citing medical reasons in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

The court fixed June 5 for the pronouncement of the order on the plea seeking 7-day bail, while refused to pass the order today itself as requested by Kejriwal's Lawyer.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan, who appeared for Kejriwal, submitted that the interim bail was to campaign for his party (the Am Aadmi Party), which is a national party.

"I am out for 20 days and had I not done it, you would've said see he didn't campaign and fell ill. It was a lot of stress due to the campaigning and you know that stress is a aggrevator of diabetes. What was alarming was that keto levels rose in the urine. The aspect of concern is the high level of sugar and the keto numbers," Kejriwal's advocate submitted in the plea.

Appearing for the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted that Arvind Kejriwal suppressed facts including about his health conditions. During preliminary arguments, ED lawyers stated that they have objections to filing interim bail as well.

This court cannot modify the Supreme Court order. He's on interim bail because the SC granted it, what he is asking here is an extension of the Supreme Court order," the ED lawyers submitted.

"This interim bail plea is required to be dismissed as it is full of suppression of facts. The Supreme Court had granted Liberty to him that he can file regular bail but the liberty to seek an extension of interim bail was not granted to him. He has said that these tests require 7 days, but the nature of the test has been suppressed," they further stated.

ED also raised maintainability issues on interim bail plea and submitted that instead of getting a medical test done, he was travelling across. Medical tests would take more than one hour.

ED further submitted that the applicant in fact has gained 1 kg weight and falsely claimed that he has lost 7 kg weight. The Registrar of the Supreme Court has passed a speaking order and the same has been suppressed by them. There is a reason for suppression and it is because he had been travelling for campaigning purposes, but he didn't get the tests done then, ED said.

Recently Kejriwal through his legal team filed two different bail applications before the concerned court. His regular bail plea is listed for a hearing on June 7, 2024.

Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal posted an emotional message on Friday and said that he is proud that he is going to jail to save the country from dictatorship.

In his video message, Kejriwal said, "Tomorrow the 21 days are getting over, the day after tomorrow I have to surrender. I don't know how long they will keep me in jail this time. But my spirits are high. I am going to jail to save the country from dictatorship. I am proud of this. They tried to break me many times, tried to make me bow down but I didn't."

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.