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Synopsis

The Supreme Court of India is to pronounce its order tomorrow, i,e. May 10, on the question if Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would be getting interim bail to campaign for Lok Sabha Elections.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has been hearing Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest in liquor scam case, yesterday told Additional Solicitor general SV Raju that his bench would be pronouncing the interim order on Friday.

The main matter relating to the challenge to arrest will also be taken up tomorrow, Justice Khanna added while he was sitting in a different combination with Justices MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi, hearing a matter related to Goods and Services Tax.

Notably, ASG Raju had sought clarification on the listing of Kejriwal's plea from the supreme court judge.

On May 7, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued vehemently against the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal saying an impression was being created that heavens would fall if he is not allowed to campaign.

"Please do not earmark political leaders as a separate class, there are Managing Directors who are in jail, they can say my company is in doldrums..the impression is created that he has not done anything and during elections he is picked up..PLEASE DO NOT CONSIDER FOR ANY INTERIM RELIEF..", SG Mehta had further told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.

Last week, Supreme Court had said it would be considering the question of interim bail to Kejriwal owing to the Elections. Court had earlier also questioned Enforcement Directorate on the time gap between initiation of investigation and the following arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor scam case.

On April 29, the Supreme Court began hearing Delhi Chief Minister 's SLP challenging the Delhi High Court's dismissal of his petition contesting his arrest by the ED in the liquor policy scam.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 late evening. He has been in ED's custody since. ED had conducted searches at Delhi Chief Minister's residence following the Delhi High Court's decision to deny him protection from coercive action in an excise policy-related money laundering case.

The case against Kejriwal & allies involves allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of Delhi's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped. 

Meanwhile, upon arrest, outside Kejriwal's residence, a crowd gathered, including AAP MLAs and party leaders, protesting the ED's actions. AAP leaders criticized the BJP and ED, alleging political conspiracy and misuse of power to target Kejriwal.

Case Title: ARVIND KEJRIWAL vs. DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT