Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to remain in jail
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got a massive setback as the Delhi High Court put a stay on trial court order that granted bail to him in the money laundering case stemming from the excise scam.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief will continue to stay in jail.
In his written submission filed on Monday, the AAP leader defended the bail order, claiming that releasing him at this stage would cause no prejudice to the ED because he could be returned to custody if the high court later decides to overturn the order.
Staying the operation of “the well-reasoned bail order” would essentially allow the petition to cancel the bail, Kejriwal argued.
On June 20, the trial court granted Kejriwal bail and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs.1 lakh, with certain conditions, including that he should not attempt to obstruct the investigation or influence witnesses. The ED claims that the trial court’s decision was “perverse,” “one-sided,” and “wrong-sided,” and that the findings were based on irrelevant facts.
Judge Niyay Bindu, who was sitting as a vacationing special judge on June 20, granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case on the grounds that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not provided direct evidence connecting him to the proceeds of crime. The parties were requested to submit written arguments by June 24 after the high court on June 21 postponed the enforcement of the bail order until after it made a decision regarding the stay.
In opposition to the interim stay on his bail, Kejriwal has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. His plea hearing was scheduled for June 26 by the Supreme Court on Monday. The court expressed deferred the hearing until the High Court issued its ruling on the matter.
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