The Enforcement Directorate Today (May 16th) raised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign speeches before the Supreme Court, saying his remarks were a slap on the face of the system. However, the Supreme Court refused to comment on the matter. ED also objected to Kejriwal’s remarks that he would be back from Tihar Jail on June 5 if the INDIA bloc came to power after the Lok Sabha election results were announced on June 4.
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NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raised concerns over Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s campaign speeches before the Supreme Court today, arguing that his remarks undermined the integrity of the judicial system.
However, the bench, comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, chose not to comment on these assertions.
The ED objected to Kejriwal’s statements claiming that he would be back from Tihar Jail on June 5 if the INDIA bloc came to power following the Lok Sabha election results announced on June 4. Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case tied to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court last week to participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign. The AAP leader is required to surrender and return to jail on June 2.
“Arvind Kejriwal has said that if people vote for the AAP, then he doesn’t have to go to jail on June 2. How can Arvind Kejriwal say this?”
-Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed to the court.
In response, Justice Sanjiv Khanna remarked,
“We welcome criticism of the verdict. We will not go into that. Our order is clear when he (Kejriwal) has to surrender. It is the order of the apex court and the rule of law shall be governed by this. We did not make an exception for anybody.”
The top court was deliberating on a plea filed by the Delhi Chief Minister challenging his arrest by the ED in this case.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta presented arguments for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), addressing statements made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Mehta asserted that Kejriwal’s comments post-bail undermine the judicial system and contravene the Supreme Court’s directives issued during his bail grant.
During the hearing, Mehta referenced Kejriwal’s campaign statements for the Lok Sabha Elections, where Kejriwal mentioned,
“I am out for 21 days and have to surrender on June 2. If you vote for the broom (AAP party symbol), then I will not have to go back to jail.”
Mehta emphasized that these statements violated the court’s order prohibiting Kejriwal from commenting on the Delhi Liquor Policy case.
The bench, comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, inquired about the specifics of Kejriwal’s statements. Mehta reiterated,
“I am out for 21 days and have to surrender on June 2. If you vote for the broom (AAP party symbol), then I will not have to go back to jail.”
Justice Khanna clarified that while Kejriwal was restricted from discussing his role in the Delhi Liquor Policy case, he was allowed to speak about the case in general. Mehta argued that Kejriwal’s implication that he could avoid jail based on votes was problematic. Justice Khanna countered that this was merely an assumption and emphasized the court’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, responded to Mehta’s points by suggesting that if the SG raised these issues, he would file an affidavit regarding statements made by top government officials about the court’s bail order. Singhvi specifically referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public remarks, where Shah suggested that Kejriwal received special treatment from the Supreme Court.
“The judgement was not a routine judicial order,”
-Shah stated during a media interaction.
Justice Khanna reaffirmed the court’s stance, stating that no exceptions were made for anyone. He instructed both SG Mehta and Singhvi to focus on legal arguments.
The Supreme Court resumed its hearing on the petition filed by Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the ED in the Delhi Liquor Policy case. This ongoing case continues to attract significant attention due to its political and legal implications.
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Click Here to Read Previous Reports of Delhi Excise Policy Scam
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