Extension to bail denied for Kejriwal despite citing medical condition

The Supreme Court has rejected Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea to extend his interim bail by a period of seven days for immediate medical reasons. 

Kejriwal’s arrest in the Delhi Excise Policy case earlier this year had allowed him a 21-day bail to campaign as a frontrunner for Aam Aadmi Party in the current Lok Sabha elections, ordering his return on the 1st of June, the last date of the elections. 

However, on the 26th of May, Kejriwal had filed a plea to the Supreme Court to surrender to the authorities on the 9th of June instead of his scheduled arrival on the 2nd, seeking seven days of additional bail.

He had cited PET-CT scans and other medical examinations as the reason for the extension in his plea, claiming significant weight loss after arrest and high levels of ketone prompting further examinations. These could indicate kidney or serious cardiac problems and, as apparent, even cancer. 

On May 28, a Supreme Court bench held by Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Vishwanathan took note of these submissions and declared that only the Chief Justice of India (CJI) could take a decision on the plea as the judgement was reserved in the main matter. This means that Excise case’s judgement has already been reserved and any decisions about an interim plea heard before the final judgement was delivered is to be decided by the CJI. 

The Supreme Court’s registry rejected the application, providing that Kejriwal had been given the liberty of a regular bail, the grounds for another extension are not permissible. 

This means that Arvind Kejriwal must still surrender to the Tihar Jail authorities on the 2nd of June. The grounds for Kejriwal’s arrest on the 21st of March, relates to the alleged corruption and money laundering in Delhi’s Excise Policy case after he had been extensively questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at his residence. 

Kejriwal has claimed the case to be completely ‘fake,’ alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had admitted to the case being ‘fake’ and for all those arrested in the case to be released immediately. He added that despite the hundreds of raids conducted across the country, no evidence of misconduct was found. 

“The prime minister has said that no evidence was found because Kejriwal is ‘an experienced thief’,” he mused. 

The bail granted by the Supreme Court allowed Kejriwal to continue campaigning but barred him from visiting his office or the Delhi secretariat and signing official files unless absolutely necessary. 

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