Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi has petitioned the Supreme Court for an additional seven days of interim bail in connection with a money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stated that the extension is needed for PET-CT scans and other medical examinations.
The Supreme Court had previously granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, the last day of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, with instructions for him to surrender and return to jail on June 2.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi announced that Kejriwal submitted a petition to the Supreme Court seeking an extension of his interim bail. She noted that Kejriwal lost seven kilograms following his arrest and has not yet regained weight.
Atishi added that Kejriwal’s ketone levels are significantly high, prompting doctors to recommend further examinations, hence the petition for an extension.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case after extensive questioning by an ED team at his residence. This arrest dealt a significant blow to the ruling party in the Capital, as key leaders like Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were already in custody on corruption charges, and Sanjay Singh had recently been released on bail.
In a virtual press conference, Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has acknowledged the excise policy case as “completely fake” and called for the release of all those arrested in the matter. He claimed that despite over 500 nationwide raids and numerous arrests, no evidence of wrongdoing has been found.
“The prime minister has said that no evidence was found because Kejriwal is ‘an experienced thief’,” Kejriwal claimed.
Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh took a jab at Kejriwal on Sunday, stating that while he is familiar with “work from home,” this is the first time he has heard of “work from jail.”
