Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has been granted temporary release by the Supreme Court till June 1, which is the last day of voting in the seven-stage 2024 Lok Sabha election. This decision is a great relief.
The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate on 21 March in connection with the purported Delhi liquor excise policy fraud, needs to turn himself in to the jail officials by June 2.
The top court, however, stated that it will be passing a detailed order over the matter soon.
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate had opposed the move to grant interim bail to Kejriwal saying that “any special concession” to him will “amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality… thereby creating two separate classes in the country viz. ordinary people, who are bound by the rule of law as well as the laws of the country, and politicians who can seek exemption from the laws”.
The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in the excise policy case.
“The right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right,” the ED said, maintaining that to its knowledge, “no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate”.
After the ED filed its affidavit, the AAP, in a press release, said, “The legal team of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, has raised strong objection to the affidavit filed by the Enforcement Directorate opposing interim bail in the Supreme Court.”
Stay ahead with educational updates! Join our WhatsApp channel now for the latest insights and knowledge boosts. Don’t miss out, join today!
