Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21. During the recent Supreme Court hearing, the justices queried the Delhi Chief Minister about his lack of a bail request prior to the trial court proceedings. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited his Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, at Tihar Jail on Tuesday. This visit marks their second interaction at the facility.
The Supreme Court is set to resume hearings today on Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy.
At yesterday’s session, the Supreme Court inquired why Kejriwal had not pursued bail through the trial court. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, confirmed that no bail application had been filed. Upon further questioning by the bench, Singhvi presented multiple reasons, including the claim of Kejriwal’s arrest being “illegal.”
The hearing was conducted by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, who listened to extensive arguments from Singhvi against the alleged unlawful arrest. Kejriwal has been in judicial custody since April 1 and is expected to remain so until May 7, following his arrest by the ED on March 21 after the Delhi High Court denied him protective measures against the agency. He is currently held in Tihar jail.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to meet Kejriwal again today at Tihar jail at 12:30 pm. This will be Mann’s second visit to meet the AAP chief since his incarceration.
Furthermore, the Delhi High Court noted on Monday that Arvind Kejriwal’s decision to continue as Chief Minister post-arrest was a personal choice. However, his absence should not obstruct the distribution of textbooks to students in MCD schools. The court emphasized that the role of a Chief Minister, especially in a significant city like Delhi, is crucial and requires almost constant availability to manage any state crisis. The court stressed that it is against national and public interest for anyone in such a pivotal position to be unreachable or absent for extended or uncertain periods.
