Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order putting on hold a trial court order granting him bail in the liquor policy scam case. Sources said his lawyers are seeking an urgent hearing of the matter. The Delhi High Court had on June 21 put on hold for “two-three days” the June 20 order of the trial court granting bail to Kejriwal. The high court said it was reserving its order on the Enforcement Directorate’s plea seeking a stay on the bail order. It also issued notice to Kejriwal on the ED’s main petition challenging the trial court’s Thursday order and listed it for July 10. The single-judge bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, who heard the ED prayer and counter-arguments by Kejriwal’s counsel, said, “Arguments are heard. Order is reserved. Till the pronouncement of the order on the stay application, the operation of the impugned (trial court) order is stayed.” On June 20, Special Judge Niyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court had granted regular bail to Kejriwal and declined the ED’s plea to keep the bail order in abeyance for 48 hours. This prompted the ED to approach the high court. The HC said it wants to go through the “entire record, the impugned judgment” and will pronounce its verdict on the stay application in “two-three days”. It permitted both parties to file short, written submissions by June 24. The ED had arrested Kejriwal on money laundering charges in connection with the excise policy scam case on March 21 this year.
