India’s Supreme Court today gave Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal interim bail till June 1 for campaigning in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta said Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
The bench rejected the plea of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, that the interim bail be granted till June 5 — a day after the votes are counted on June 4.
The apex court is hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging Delhi High Court’s last month verdict upholding his arrest by Enforcement Directorate in the case.
The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
Kejriwal himself is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls but is the star campaigner of his Aam Aadmi Party, of which he is the convener.
Delhi witnesses polling for all the seven Lok Sabha seats on May 25. The last phase of India’s seven-round polling ends on June 2.
