ED has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Check all the latest updates here.
New Delhi: In a major development, the Enforcement Directorate has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In its affidavit , the ED has said that politicians can claim no special status higher than that of an ordinary citizen and are as liable to be arrested and detained for committing offenses as any other citizen, as per a report carried by news agency ANI.
Continuing its harsh stand on the interim bail of the Delhi CM, the ED also said that there is absolutely no principle that justifies giving differential treatment to a politician for campaigning over a farmer or a businessman who wishes to pursue his vocation. It added that the grant of interim bail merely for political campaigning would militate against and be discriminatory to the rule of equality, as the work, business/profession or activity of every citizen is equally important to him or her.
SC May Pass Order On Interim Bail To Delhi CM On Friday
The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it may pass an order on May 10 on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail in the money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
As a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna was rising for the day, it told Enforcement Directorate counsel Additional Solicitor General SV Raju that it may pass the order on interim relief to Kejriwal on Friday.
On Tuesday, the bench had hinted at granting interim bail to Kejriwal to enable him to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, it had also said that if interim bail is granted, Kejriwal would not be allowed to discharge any official duties as Chief Minister.
ED had opposed this in the top court, which was hearing arguments on interim bail to Kejriwal.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, also representing ED, told the bench at an earlier hearing that there can’t be any deviation only because Kejriwal is Chief Minister and asked if Supreme Court is carving out exception for politicians?
“How can a Chief Minister be treated differently from an aam aadmi. There can’t be any deviation only because he is a Chief Minister. Would campaigning for elections be more important?” he had told the bench.
To this end, the bench had said that elections are held once every five years.
Solicitor General then said, “We are dealing with the Chief Minister of Capital, and he has evaded summons for six months. Please do not make an exception, as it would demoralise a real common man and it shows that if you are in a position, then you will benefit. ”
(With inputs from agencies)
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