On Friday, the Delhi High Court postponed making a decision about the Enforcement Directorate’s request for a restraining order against CM Kejriwal’s bail release.
In a money laundering case involving the now-canceled excise policy, a Delhi court on Thursday granted the Chief Minister bail. However, the high court postponed the order till it made a final decision on the ED’s request. It means that the CM will remain in judicial custody.
The supreme court promised to issue its ruling in two or three days in CM Kejriwal’s case.
After the announcement of order on Thursday, the ED requested a 48-hour delay in signing the bail bond. But the trial judge flatly rejected the ED’s request for a stay.
The ED moved to the High Court on Friday to contest the bail decision made by the lower court. The ED’s Additional Solicitor General, S.V. Raju, hastily brought up the case before a vacation bench made up of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja.
Argument in CM Kejriwal’s Case
Arguing over the plea, S. V. Raju said, “I am moving for an urgent stay. Court pronounced the order yesterday at 8 p.m. The order is not uploaded. We were not given a clear opportunity to oppose bail.”
He claimed that the court did not hear the his request against the bail. Adding to his argument, he said “I am demanding that the order be stayed and the matter be heard as soon as possible. We were denied the full opportunity to argue the case. I am making allegations with full seriousness.”
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing CM Kejriwal, opposed the stay request, citing legal precedents.
The court heard the arguments from both sides. The High Court directed that enforcement of the bail order should not occur before the full hearing of the matter. “The bail order will not be given effect. We have not passed the final order. You may argue as much as you can,” the Bench stated, effectively halting CM Kejriwal’s release.
