Delhi High Court Stays Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail, Says ‘Trial Court Did Not Apply Its Mind’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial court’s order, granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the money laundering case related to an alleged excise policy scam.

A bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said the “trial court did not apply its mind” while granting bail to Kejriwal and also failed to appreciate the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The trial court judge should have given adequate opportunity to ED while deciding the bail plea, Times of India reported quoting the judge.

“This court has decided that the vacation judge did not appropriately appreciate the material on record and the averments of ED,” Justice Jain added.

The Delhi Chief Minister was granted bail by Vacation Judge Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court on June 20 on a bond of Rs 1 lakh. On June 21, ED moved the Delhi High Court with an urgent application seeking a stay of the impugned order.

On Friday, the High Court ordered that the impugned order shall remain stayed till the pronouncement of the order.

Following which, Delhi CM moved the Supreme Court challenging the interim stay granted by the High Court. The matter was heard on Monday by a vacation bench headed by Justice Manoj Misra, who adjourned the hearing to June 24 as the apex court he said does not want to “pre-judge” the issue when the High Court’s order is awaited.

After the High Court’s stay, the AAP said the party will challenge it in the Supreme Court.