Delhi HC dismisses PIL to grant extraordinary interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal; imposes Rs 75,000 on petitioner
New Delhi: Delhi High Court dismisses a PIL seeking direction to grant extraordinary interim bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in all the criminal cases. The Court while dismissing the plea imposed a cost of Rs 75,000 on the petitioner.
The bench headed by the Acting Chief Justice of Delhi, while passing the order, says, “This court cannot grant extraordinary interim bail in a pending criminal case initiated against a person holding high office. Court said that someone is in custody by virtue of the judicial order of the court. The challenge is presently before the Supreme Court. He is taking steps and using remedies. Law is equal for anyone.”
The PIL was submitted by a fourth-year law student under the pseudonym "We the People of India," emphasizing a desire to avoid personal recognition or gain. The petition was filed through Advocate Karan Pal Singh.
The plea asserted that Kejriwal faces threats to his safety while being detained in Tihar Jail alongside hardened criminals involved in serious offenses like rape, dacoity, murder, and terrorism.
Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Kejriwal, contested the legitimacy of the petition, arguing that its requests were entirely impermissible.
Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Kejriwal, dismissed the PIL as "wholly impermissible" and "misguided," criticizing the petitioner for attempting to exploit the court for political purposes. Mehra highlighted that the same bench had previously rejected similar pleas seeking the removal of the Chief Minister after his arrest, with the latest one being dismissed and the petitioner fined.
The Aam Aadmi Party's National Convenor was arrested on March 21 for alleged misdoings in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy case under an ongoing money laundering probe by the ED.
The allegations revolve around purported corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently revoked.
Kejriwal's arrest comes ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections which scheduled to take place between April 19 and June 1, as per the timetable released by the Election Commission earlier this month.
- With inputs from agencies
