“May Consider Granting Interim Bail To Arvind Kejriwal Due To Polls”: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for May 7 to consider granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, enabling him to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi’s liquor policy, has approached the Supreme Court after failing to secure relief from lower courts.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that there is insufficient evidence against the Chief Minister and that his arrest lacks legal basis.

Singhvi stressed that Kejriwal had responded to nine summonses from the ED, and failure to appear cannot justify arrest. He also highlighted that the evidence relied upon predates 2023 and is similar to that in the case of Manish Sisodia, another AAP leader who was arrested.

However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the central agency, defended Kejriwal’s arrest, stating that it was supported by a special judge’s decision. The court acknowledged the complexity of the case but expressed openness to considering interim bail due to the ongoing elections. The conditions of bail, if granted, will be decided during the upcoming hearing on Tuesday.