6 months ago
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The Enforcement Directorate has told the Supreme Court it opposes bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in March in the alleged liquor policy scam and is currently incarcerated in the city's Tihar Jail. Appearing for the central agency, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that releasing the AAP leader would set a bad example.
"What example are we setting? Are other people less important...? There can't be any deviation only because he is a Chief Minister. Are we carving out exception for politicians? Is campaigning for elections be more important?" the ED's lawyer argued.
Earlier the court had said it will hear arguments for temporary bail to Mr Kejriwal to allow him to campaign for his party in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Delhi - which has seven Lok Sabha seats - votes May 25. Mr Kejriwal's AAP is also contesting seats in other states.
The court had noted that Arvind Kejriwal is the "elected Chief Minister of Delhi".
"There are elections... these are extraordinary circumstances and he is not a habitual offender," Justice Sanjiv Khanna, part of a two-judge bench that includes Justice Dipankar Datta, said.
To Mr Raju's sharp question about possible special treatment for Mr Kejriwal, and about campaigning for elections being "more important", the court responded, "That is separate. (Lok Sabha) elections are held once in five years... we don't appreciate this."
"We certainly do not want that politicians who are involved in crimes be treated differently," Justice Khanna observed.
The question, Mr Raju, continued, is if the court should grant interim bail and this should be answered keeping in mind that had Mr Kejriwal cooperated - i.e., answered any one of nine earlier summons, which the AAP leader had snubbed citing alleged technical illegalities, "maybe he would not have been arrested". "But now he says, 'I want to campaign'?"
"All common men are at par," Mr Raju continued.
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