SC registry refuses Kejriwal’s plea for urgent hearing on interim bail extension

The Supreme Court registry on Wednesday refused urgent listing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking extension of his interim bail by seven days for undergoing certain medical tests.

The apex court registry refused to accept the application, saying since Kejriwal was given liberty to move the trial court for regular bail, the plea is not maintainable.

On Tuesday, a vacation bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the chief minister, and said the decision on the listing of the interim plea can be taken by the CJI as the judgement has been reserved in the main matter.

Kejriwal has sought extension of his interim bail by seven days to undergo a host of medical tests, including a PET-CT scan, in view of his “sudden and unexplained weight loss coupled with high ketone levels”, which are indicative of kidney, serious cardiac ailments and even cancer.

The chief minister, in his fresh plea filed on May 26, said he will surrender before jail authorities on June 9 instead of June 2, the scheduled date for his return to prison.

The top court had on May 10 granted 21-day interim bail to the chief minister, who was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’, to enable him to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

It had directed that Kejriwal shall surrender on June 2, a day after the last phase of the seven-phase poll gets over.

In his plea, Kejriwal claimed that he had lost 7 kilograms since his arrest and that his ketone level was very high, suggesting it could be a symptom of a serious disease. “The doctors at Max Hospital are treating him at present,” the AAP leader said in his plea.

The top court had on May 10 granted 21-day interim bail to the chief minister, who was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’, to enable him to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

It had directed that Kejriwal shall surrender on June 2, a day after the last phase of the seven-phase poll gets over.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal on the ground of electioneering, stating that there had been no such precedent. The probe agency had contended that no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning and that he (Kejriwal) isn’t a contesting candidate.

The matter relates to the alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021–22. (With inputs from PTI)