Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal is set to spend the weekend in Tihar Jail as the Supreme Court has deferred hearing his challenge to the Delhi High Court's recent
ruling. The apex court, which resumes its sessions on Monday, is anticipated to
take up the petition filed by the Aam Aadmi Party leader at that time.
The Supreme Court
is unlikely to convene a special bench for an urgent hearing on Kejriwal's
appeal. With the court closed for Eid-Ul-Fitr on Thursday, a local holiday on
Friday, followed by the weekend, the next possible hearing date would be Monday
when the court reopens.
Senior advocate
Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, brought up the matter before Chief
Justice of India DY Chandrachud this morning, requesting an urgent hearing.
However, the Chief Justice did not confirm whether a hearing would be granted
today, stating, "We will see, we will look into it."
Yesterday, the
Delhi High Court dismissed a challenge by Arvind Kejriwal against his March 21
arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related
to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy.
The court stated
that the central agency was left with "little option" as Kejriwal had
ignored several summonses in the case. The ED also alleged that Kejriwal was
actively involved in using and concealing the alleged proceeds of crime.
The court
emphasised that there is no separate protocol for a probe agency to follow for
questioning a common man and a chief minister.
"Further,
this court holds that this court would not lay down two different categories of
laws, one for common citizens, and the other granting special privilege to be
extended by the investigating agency to a chief minister or any other person in
power only on the basis of being in that public office since that public office
is enjoyed by that public figure due to the mandate of the public,"
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said in her statement.