SC gives interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal till June 1

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, SC grants him interim bail till June 01 to participate in election campaigns, order has big implications on political equation on Delhi & Centre.

The apex court’s two-judge bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta pronounced the order.

The top court directed Kejriwal to surrender on June 02.

Today, the ED opposed the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal on ground of electioneering, said that no such precedents available.

A day before the scheduled important hearing in the Delhi liquor scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a fresh affidavit opposing the grant of interim bail to the Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal in the case, saying the right to campaign in elections is neither fundamental nor constitutional.

“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 inbits affidavit told the apex court on Thursday.

The ED further said that no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate. “Even a contesting candidate cannot be granted interim bail for his own campaigning,” the ED said, ahead of the crucial hearing in the apex court.

The ED 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.”