Supreme Court Denies Urgent Hearing, Arvind Kejriwal's Plea for Bail Extension Deferred to Chief Justice Chandrachud

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an urgent hearing for Arvind Kejriwal's request to extend his interim bail, citing medical reasons, by a week. The Delhi Chief Minister, arrested in March in connection with an alleged liquor policy scam, had been granted interim bail earlier to campaign for his party, AAP, prior to the Delhi Lok Sabha elections. However, his plea for an immediate hearing was turned down by a vacation bench, which deferred it to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud for a decision on scheduling.

The bench, comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and KV Vishwanathan, noted that the verdict in Kejriwal's original case had been reserved since May 17. The court also expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the plea, suggesting it could have been filed earlier when Justice Dipankar Datta, who granted Kejriwal's interim bail, was available. Consequently, Kejriwal is required to return to Tihar Jail by June 2 as per the court's directive.

Arvind Kejriwal, represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, had argued for an immediate hearing, emphasizing the necessity for additional medical tests due to health complications. Singhvi underscored that Kejriwal would remain accessible to the public during his bail period and highlighted compliance with the conditions set by the Supreme Court for interim bail.

The medical tests, ordered by a private hospital in Delhi, include a PET-CT scan of Kejriwal's entire body and are expected to take approximately five to seven days to complete. Kejriwal, who suffers from diabetes and requires regular insulin shots, faced controversy over the supply of insulin during his incarceration, with allegations of deliberate deprivation by jail authorities.

During the hearing, Kejriwal reiterated his concerns about the insensitivity of prison authorities and highlighted his unexplained weight loss as a symptom of a potentially life-threatening condition. He argued that an additional week of bail would enable him to address any health complications.

The ED however maintains that Kejriwal played a pivotal role in formulating the now-discarded liquor policy and soliciting bribes for liquor licenses, with alleged kickbacks of ₹100 crore being funneled into AAP's election campaigns in Goa and Punjab. Kejriwal and AAP have vehemently denied these allegations, labelling the arrest and subsequent case as political vendetta.​