A fourth-year law student filed a PIL seeking the release of Kejriwal, including from a money laundering case by the ED connected to Delhi’s excise policy.
On Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to secure the release of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is detained in relation to the now-defunct excise policy case.
The court panel, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Arora, also levied a penalty of Rs 75,000 on the law student who initiated the PIL.
The court noted that the petition was untenable as Kejriwal remains in judicial custody based on existing judicial directives that have not been contested in this PIL. The bench emphasized, “The principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution of India and the rule of law stand supreme—above all, the law is above you… Moreover, this court in writ jurisdiction cannot grant extraordinary interim bail in an ongoing criminal case against a high-ranking official,” while issuing the order.
The PIL, submitted by a fourth-year law student under the banner ‘We the People of India,’ aimed to exempt the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from all criminal proceedings until either his term ends or the trials conclude.
According to the student’s petition, since Kejriwal’s arrest by a federal agency on March 21, the functioning of the Delhi government and its ministers has been severely disrupted, rendering the administration “like a headless organisation,” as reported by India Today.
The petition argued for Kejriwal’s essential return to his office to fulfill his duties as Chief Minister effectively, making timely decisions and issuing orders for public welfare.
Additionally, the plea highlighted concerns over Kejriwal’s safety and security in jail, pointing out that standard jail or police training does not adequately prepare for the protection of a sitting Chief Minister. It mentioned an “immediate danger” to his safety, particularly given his current location in Tihar jail near serious criminals.
