A Delhi court on Friday adjourned till June 14, the bail application filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in March this year in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
At the outset of the hearing, Senior Advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Kejriwal, sought a short adjournment until tomorrow as he needed more time to go through the 182-page reply filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Counsel claimed that he was supplied with the ED’s reply just a few moments before the hearing today.
He argued that an advance copy did not mean that it was given half an hour before the hearing.
His request was opposed by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who pointed out that a hearing on June 8 would cut into the trial court’s summer break, which will start tomorrow.
The ASG argued that the court did not only have the Arvind Kejriwal matter. There were many other matters also. The court was overburdened, he added.
Advocate Hariharan said that it cannot be that in a bail situation, the prosecution says because I am on vacation, a bail matter may not be heard. This was unheard of.
The ASG replied that he could argue the matter without relying on the ED’s reply. He added that the ED’s reply furnished today need not be taken on record, he suggested.
Advocate Hariharan argued that the ED cannot prolong the bail hearing by citing court vacations or opposing a hearing before a vacation bench.
Hariharan contended that the department cannot shut down. Calling it an absurd proposition, he asked why should Kejriwal be kept waiting like this for two weeks.
Special Judge (PC Act) Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts adjourned the matter by a week and posted it for further hearing on June 14.
Vacation judge Mukesh Kumar is likely to hear the matter when it comes up next.
The national agency was also represented by Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 on allegations that he was part of a conspiracy to intentionally leave loopholes in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22, to benefit certain liquor sellers.
ED has alleged that kickbacks received from liquor sellers were used to fund the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) electoral campaign in Goa and Kejriwal being the National Convenor of the party is both personally and vicariously liable for the offence of money laundering.
Other AAP leaders arrested in the same case include former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia and Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh (out on bail).
Kejriwal remained in jail till May 10, when the Supreme Court allowed his release on interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to jail on June 2 after the interim bail period allowed by the top court came to an end.
The Delhi Chief Minister had filed an application seeking interim bail for seven days on medical grounds. However, that plea was rejected by Judge Baweja on June 5.