New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, temporarily halting the AAP leader’s anticipated release from prison after almost two months.
A Vacation Bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain stayed the trial court’s bail order offering relief to the AAP leader, saying it wanted to go through the entire records.
The court accepted Enforcement Directorate’s plea for an opportunity to oppose Kejriwal’s bail and posted the matter for further arguments on June 24. The probe agency claimed the bail order was “flawed”.
Rouse Avenue Court’s Vacation Judge Nyay Bindu had on Thursday granted bail to the Delhi CM, who was arrested on March 21 on furnishing a bail bond of Rs one lakh.
The High Court’s stay on Kejriwal’s bail came as a blow to AAP supporters who have been celebrating since Thursday’s bail order in anticipation of their leader’s early release from jail.
During the hearing in the High Court, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju made an urgent mention on behalf of the ED to stay the bail order as he was not given adequate opportunity by the trial court to oppose the bail plea.
“The order was pronounced yesterday at 8 pm. The order is not uploaded yet. We were not given a clear opportunity to oppose bail,” ASG said, adding that the order of the trial court granting bail was perverse.
The High Court’s stay on Kejriwal’s release will remain in effect till it hears and decides on the ED’s appeal seeking to overturn the lower court’s decision.
Kejriwal’s legal team countered ED’s plea, describing the lower court’s decision as a discretionary order which was passed after due process of law.
The AAP leader was represented by Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhari
Senior Advocate Chaudhari objected to certain remarks made in the ED’s application as well as orally.
This is a bail cancellation application. The law is settled. but the issue here is as to what extent the courts can entertain such pleas, Chaudhry said.
The Apex Court on May 10 passed an order and despite ED’s objections granted bail to Kejriwal for a short period, Chaudhari said, opposing the plea to stay the CM’s bail order.
Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 for his alleged role in the money laundering case registered under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act connected to the alleged liquor policy scam suspected to involve over Rs 100 crore bribe.
On May 10, Kejriwal got interim bail from the Supreme Court till June 1 in view of general elections. He surrendered before the court on June 2, after the end of interim bail.
