Delhi court defers hearing of Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea to June 14

Delhi court defers hearing of Kejriwal's bail plea

A Delhi court has deferred to June 14 the hearing of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in the excise policy case.

Appearing for Kejriwal, senior advocate Hariharan on June 7 told the Rouse Avenue court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted its response to the bail plea just before the hearing. He requested the court to list the case next week before a vacation judge as the Rouse Avenue court will close for a summer break from June 8 to the end of the month.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Raju Ramachandran, who appeared for ED, said he would not available next week and urged the court to list the case for week after.

Hariharan objected, saying an additional week of adjournment without hearing would be prejudicial to Kejriwal.

The case will be heard on June 14 by a vacation judge.

On June 5, the court dismissed the interim bail plea filed by Kejriwal. Judge Kaveri Baweja, who passed the order, said, "I have issued certain directions for his diagnostic tests to be conducted."

The court extended his judicial custody till June 19, also the day he will be produced before a vacation judge.

Kejriwal was arrested by ED in late March after he skipped nine summons to appear for questioning in the excise policy case. He challenged the validity of his arrest and was granted an interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 10 to campaign for the general election.

The CM sought a seven-day extension of his interim bail on medical grounds. On May 29, the Supreme Court registry refused to list Kejriwal's plea for extension of the interim bail, saying the court granted him the liberty to move the lower court. He surrendered on June 2.