Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi (Image Source: OpIndia)
On May 10, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in connection with the ongoing ‘Liquor Policy Scam Case’. This interim bail will remain in effect until June 1. Kejriwal, who is also the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is now able to campaign for his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during this period.
While granting bail, the Supreme Court imposed several strict conditions on Kejriwal during this 21-day interim bail period. Wherein he was prohibited from entering the Chief Minister’s office and from making any public comments about the case.
Despite these restrictions, Kejriwal appears to have flouted the court’s directives by openly discussing the case in public forums.
In a video that has since gone viral, Kejriwal is seen addressing a public gathering where he spoke about the Liquor Policy Case. In his speech, he questioned the legitimacy of the case, referring to it as fabricated.
Addressing the allegations of financial misconduct, Kejriwal remarked, “They are claiming that a scam involving thousands of crores has occurred, but where is the money? They haven’t even found a thousand rupees, yet they assert that such a massive scam has taken place.”
Notably, Kejriwal was released on bail with certain conditions, five of which were:
1) Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat during the tenure of his interim bail, said the Supreme Court.
2) Kejriwal cannot sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor’s sanction during the 21-day interim bail period.
3) Kejriwal has to furnish bail bonds in the sum of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the jail superintendent.
4) “He will not make any comment with regard to his role in the present case; and will not interact with any of the witnesses and/or have access to any official files connected with the case,” said the court.
5) Kejriwal will have to surrender and return to jail on June 2.
The Supreme Court noted that Kejriwal is “not a threat to the society.” While granting the relief, it noted that there was no doubt about the fact that serious accusations have been made against him but he has not been convicted yet.
On May 19, senior advocate and BJP leader Hitesh Jain accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of blatantly defying the conditions set by the Supreme Court. Jain highlighted that the Supreme Court had issued an unprecedented order granting Kejriwal interim bail for 20 days, with explicit terms, including a requirement for Kejriwal to surrender on June 2. One key condition of the bail was that Kejriwal must refrain from discussing his involvement in the case during any campaign activities or otherwise.
Jain stated, “The Supreme Court has passed an unprecedented order releasing Arvind Kejriwal on interim bail for 20 days, with certain terms and conditions. Arvind Kejriwal is also required to surrender again on June 2. One of the conditions is that he will not speak about his role in the case during any campaign or otherwise. That was a specific condition. In the protest that was led by him for the Aam Aadmi Party, he had all the rights to protest but he brazenly defied the conditions passed by the Supreme Court.”
Jain further criticised Kejriwal for not respecting the special liberty granted by the court, noting, “There is no precedent for releasing a person for campaigning. However, he has not respected the liberty that has been granted. And today, commenting on his role in the case is a brazen defiance of the SC order.”
The BJP leader also accused Kejriwal of undermining the rule of law, saying, “Clearly, he doesn’t believe in the rule of law. He believes that he has every right to shamelessly, brazenly defy the institution. Today, he has defied the Supreme Court and he has told the SC that he is not bound by the conditions. It is for the SC to see whether they will allow the rule of law to prevail or the jungle raj of Arvind Kejriwal.”
It is pertinent to mention that the Supreme Court will commence its summer vacation on Monday, May 20, 2024, and will continue until Monday, July 8, 2024. Although a vacation bench will be available to hear cases and petitions, it remains uncertain whether the court will take suo motu cognisance of Kejriwal’s actions.
Some netizens raised concerns about this issue on the social media platform X. Ananand Ranganathan, a renowned author and speaker, wrote, “Here, Arvind Kejriwal is openly proclaiming his innocence and commenting on the Liquor Excise Policy case, despite being expressly barred by the Supreme Court from doing so – it was one of the conditions for granting him bail. Where is the Supreme Court? On summer vacation.”
Another influencer, who goes by the handle The Skin Doctor, posted, “Kejriwal was prohibited from making any comments about his involvement in the excise policy case as per the interim bail conditions, and yet he is openly violating them. This is today’s video where he is calling the case a fraud. Will Justice Khanna take notice?”
A legal consultant named Ashu wrote, “Supreme Court of India, please act! Bail conditions for Arvind Kejriwal clearly stated that he should not visit the CM’s house (correct me if I am wrong) nor meet witnesses, etc. Why can’t the bench take suo motu cognisance of this event?”
Now the question remains: will the Supreme Court take any action in this matter?
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