Not heard properly: ED tells HC, challenging Kejriwal's bail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has challenged the order of Rouse Avenue court on granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy.

ED has challenged the order dated June 20, 2024, passed by Special Judge (Vacation Judge), Rouse Avenue District Courts that granted bail to Kejriwal.

The trial court said in the bail order that ED has failed to give any direct evidence against the applicant (Kejriwal) in respect of the proceeds of crime.

The matter was mentioned before the vacation division bench today seeking an urgent hearing.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju and Special counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for ED and the matter is listed before the bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain.

ED in its petition has said that the June 20 order granting regular bail to Kejriwal was passed without granting adequate opportunity of hearing to the ED and without considering that in light of the facts of the present case where all courts up to Supreme Court have given judicial imprimatur to the fact that the offence of money laundering has been committed and hence regular bail in light of the mandatory twin conditions under Section 45 of the PMLA could not have been granted.

It is also stated that Special Judge (Vacation Judge), contrary to the well settled legal position, refused to stay the impugned order for a short period to enable the ED to exercise its right to challenge the said order before the High Court and further copy of the impugned order was also not provided.

ED has also that in light of the above, the applicant is praying for urgent relief and if the present application is not listed, irreparable injury will be caused.

Vacation judge Nyay Bindu on Thursday granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal on furnishing bail bond of Rs one lakh.

The court had refused the request of ED to postpone the process of filing a bail bond for 48 hours.