NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday knocked the doors of the Supreme Court seeking a direction for an extension of his interim bail by another seven days, citing that he has to undergo PET-CT scan and other tests.
He was granted interim bail by the top court in the Delhi liquor scam case.
The apex court's two-judge bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta in their order on May 10 had granted him interim bail till June 01 to participate in election campaigns, and directed him to surrender on June 02.
Kejriwal, in his plea, claimed that after his arrest he had lost 7 kgs. His Ketone level is very high. This could be a symptom of a serious disease. "The doctors of Max hospital is treating him at present," he said in his plea.
The ED (Enforcement Directorate), had in the top court opposed the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal on ground of electioneering, saying that no such precedents are available.
The ED had earlier filed a fresh affidavit opposing the grant of interim bail to the Delhi CM, Kejriwal in the case.
Opposing the Court's suggestion to grant Kejriwal interim bail in view of the Lok Sabha elections, the ED said, "The right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right. The agency also submitted that a politician cannot claim a higher status than an ordinary citizen and was not entitled to differential treatment."
The ED further said that no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate.
The ED also said that if the top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal on the grounds of elections, then this "will create a precedent which would permit all unscrupulous politicians to commit crimes, avoid investigation under the garb of election."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi HC's rejection of his plea challenging his arrest and remand by the ED.
Justifying Kejriwal's arrest in the case, the ED had told the Supreme Court that he was the mastermind and main conspirator in the case. We have all the evidence against him," Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, senior law officer for the ED, had said.
He said that when the investigation began it was not focused towards Kejriwal, but when it progressed, he was named and his role became clearer.
A day after his plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court on April 9, Kejriwal had on April 10 moved the Supreme Court against the dismissal of plea of his arrest and remand in Delhi liquor scam.
The accused, Kejriwal claimed innocence in the liquor gate scam case and had told the Court, during the hearing that the timing of his arrest right after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is to humiliate, insult, and disable him and his political party.
The ASG Raju said that there are sufficient evidences against him and he is the main criminal conspirator in the Delhi liquor scam.
The Delhi HC, in its order had earlier said, "The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal is not in contravention of the legal provisions. The remand can't be held to be illegal."