The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal until June 1st. Kejriwal was arrested on March 12th by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money-laundering probe related to the Delhi government’s now-withdrawn excise policy. Despite vehement opposition from the ED, a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta passed an interim order allowing Kejriwal bail until June 1st, suggesting that he be released to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, in which he is a key leader of the opposition INDIA bloc against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, the court has directed Kejriwal to surrender on June 2nd. The ED, in a fresh affidavit, argued against granting interim bail for campaigning, stating that the right to campaign is neither fundamental nor constitutional. The court clarified that Kejriwal cannot carry out any official duties as chief minister during this period.
Kejriwal was previously held at Tihar Jail after his arrest on March 21st and has been challenging his custody and remand. Despite his plea being rejected by the Delhi High Court, which upheld his arrest on April 9th, the Supreme Court questioned the timing of his arrest, considering the proximity to the Lok Sabha polls. The high court deemed Kejriwal's arrest legal, citing his repeated failure to respond to summonses and participate in the investigation.
