New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has rejected Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea seeking a seven-day extension of his interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy case.
Kejriwal was ordered to be released on interim bail till June 1 given the ongoing general elections in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The apex court had directed him to surrender on June 2.
The registry said that the top court had already reserved its verdict in the matter and the application seeking a seven-day extension has no relation to the main petition, the IANS reported, adding that as the top court had allowed him to move the trial court for obtaining regular bail, the application is not maintainable, it added.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader has sought an extension of his interim bail by seven days to undergo a host of medical tests, including a PET-CT scan, given his "sudden and unexplained weight loss coupled with high ketone levels", which are indicative of kidney, serious cardiac ailments, and even cancer.
In his latest plea submitted on May 26, the chief minister stated that he would surrender to jail authorities on June 9 instead of the originally scheduled date of June 2 for his return to prison.
At this, Justice Maheshwari said that another bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna on May 17 had reserved its verdict in the matter and considering the propriety, it would be appropriate to refer the application to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
The charges against Kejriwal in the case pertain to the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 this year.
