The Supreme Court hinted at the possibility of granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, although it clarified that no decision has been reached yet. The court's remarks came during a hearing on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court asked the ED to provide guidance on the feasibility of interim bail and potential conditions that could be imposed.
The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta directed the ED to come prepared with instructions regarding the possibility and conditions of interim bail for Kejriwal. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on May 7.
During the proceedings, the bench emphasized the need for openness to avoid surprises for either party involved. It underscored that no definitive decision has been made regarding bail. Kejriwal has been in custody at Delhi's Tihar Jail since April 1 in connection with a liquor policy case.
The court also addressed the ED's application of section 70, highlighting concerns about the involvement of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the primary accused. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued against attributing actions of a political party directly to its leaders without proper adjudication.
Singhvi's arguments centered on the legality of Kejriwal's arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). He pointed out discrepancies in the procedure followed by the ED and emphasized that Kejriwal was not considered an "accused" until his arrest, despite previous summonses.
Singhvi also questioned the ED's timing of Kejriwal's arrest, coinciding with the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates. He argued that skipping summonses does not imply guilt and stressed the necessity of meeting the criteria outlined in Section 19 of the PMLA for arrest.
The court examined the concept of "reason to believe" as a prerequisite for arrest under Section 19, emphasizing the need for objective evaluation by the judge. Singhvi highlighted the importance of assessing all criteria under Section 19 and scrutinizing the material in possession of the ED.
In response, the ED defended its actions, stating the necessity of relevance in the material considered for arrest. The court indicated the possibility of considering interim bail due to the prolonged nature of the case, particularly in light of upcoming elections. Further arguments on this aspect are expected in subsequent hearings.
उच्चतम न्यायालय ने कहा कि वह अरविंद केजरीवाल के अंतरिम जमानत को विचार कर सकता है क्योंकि चुनाव हो रहे हैं।
सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को अंतरिम जमानत देने के संभावना का संकेत दिया, हालांकि इसे स्पष्ट किया कि अभी तक कोई निर्णय नहीं लिया गया है। यह टिप्पणी केजरीवाल की अपील पर सुनवाई के दौरान आई। उनके द्वारा एनफोर्समेंट डायरेक्टोरेट (ईडी) द्वारा उनकी गिरफ्तारी को चुनौती देने की। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने ईडी से अरविंद केजरीवाल के लिए अंतरिम जमानत की संभावना और लगने वाली शर्तों पर मार्गदर्शन प्रदान करने के लिए कहा।
संजीव खन्ना और दीपंकर दत्ता जैस्टिस की बेंच ने ईडी को अरविंद केजरीवाल के लिए अंतरिम जमानत की संभावना और शर्तों के साथ तैयार होने के निर्देश दिए। मामला 7 मई को आगे की सुनवाई के लिए निर्धारित किया गया है।
सुनवाई के दौरान, बेंच ने दोनों पक्षों को अचानक कोई चौंकाने के लिए खुले रहने की जरूरत को जोर दिया। यह उन्होंने उजागर किया कि कोई जमानत के संदर्भ में निर्णय अभी नहीं लिया गया है। केजरीवाल को दिल्ली के तिहाड़ जेल में 1 अप्रैल से हिरासत में रखा गया है एक शराब नीति के मामले में।