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The Supreme Court Registry has declined to schedule a hearing for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's application to extend his interim bail by seven days in a money laundering case related to the liquor policy 'scam'. The Registry noted that a Supreme Court Bench had already heard and reserved judgment on Kejriwal's petition to quash his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The judgment was reserved by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta on May 17.
Kejriwal's lawyer, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, mentioned the application for urgent listing before a Vacation Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and K.V. Viswanathan on May 28. However, the Vacation Bench declined to entertain the request, suggesting instead that Singhvi approach the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders. They also questioned why the plea was not made before Justice Datta, who led a Vacation Bench the previous week.
The Bench had previously given Kejriwal the option to apply for statutory bail under Section 45 of the PMLA. Kejriwal was ordered to surrender on June 2, having been granted interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. His latest application requested an extension of interim bail for medical tests, including a PET-CT scan. The interim bail, granted to allow him to canvass for votes, barred him from visiting the Chief Minister’s office, the Delhi Secretariat, or signing official files unless necessary for clearance from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Kejriwal was also prohibited from commenting on his role in the liquor policy case.
