HC gives Kejriwal final chance to present arguments in bail case

The Delhi High Court has given former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal one last opportunity to present his arguments in the petition challenging the trial court’s order that granted him bail. Justice Ravindra Dudeja scheduled the next hearing for November, directing that no further chances would be given after that date.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the court that Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju was unavailable as he was engaged in a matter before the Supreme Court. The High Court then made it clear that both sides must complete their arguments at the next hearing.

Earlier, on August 7, 2024, the High Court had observed that Kejriwal was already out on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court. The bench questioned whether there was any plan to arrest him again. Kejriwal, in his response, alleged that the ED had obtained witness statements under undue pressure.

Previously, the Delhi High Court had stayed the trial court’s bail order, calling it flawed. The court said that the lower court had failed to examine the documents properly and had not given the ED sufficient opportunity to present its case.

It also noted that the trial court had not complied with the two essential conditions outlined under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Kejriwal’s interim bail, granted by the Supreme Court earlier this year, was specifically for election campaigning and could not be cited as a general ground for personal liberty, the court remarked.

Notably, Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. While he has been granted regular bail in the CBI case, he continues to face proceedings in the ED case linked to the same matter.