A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered forthwith release of Arvind Kejriwal from Tihar Jail after the Aam Aadmi Party leader furnished the bail bond in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by Nitin Gadkari, changing his earlier stand against it.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha accepted the personal bond filed by Kejriwal’s counsel in compliance with the order passed by the Delhi high court. “It is also submitted that Arvind Kejriwal has written in his own handwriting that he is filing the personal bond in compliance with the high court order. In view of this, the personal bond furnished is accepted,” the court said, adding, “Let the accused be released forthwith.”
During the hearing, advocate Rahul Mehra, who appeared for Kejriwal, told the court that their writ petition is pending before the high court and Kejriwal has agreed to file the bond.
The court said that the release order will be sent to the Tihar Jail through a special messenger. Kejriwal’s counsel showed to the magistrate the written consent given by the former Delhi chief minister accepting the suggestion of the high court to furnish personal bond.
Kejriwal gave the letter in his handwriting when senior advocate Shanti Bhushan and advocate Prashant Bhushan went to Tihar Jail to meet him after taking permission from the high court.
Earlier in the day, the high court suggested Kejriwal to furnish a bail bond and get released from the jail. He was sent to judicial custody by the magistrate on May 21 for two days. On May 23, his custody was extended by 14 days till June 6 after he refused to furnish a bail bond when he was granted bail in the case.
The magistrate had refused to review its May 21 order remanding Kejriwal in judicial custody for not furnishing the bail bond and had asked him to approach the higher court, challenging the decision.
The AAP leader was earlier summoned as an accused by the court in connection with the complaint in which Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by Kejriwal, who had included his name in the party’s list of ‘India's most corrupt’.
On May 21, the court had granted bail to Kejriwal, saying the offence under Section 500 of IPC (dealing with defamation) was bailable and had asked him to furnish a personal bond.
He, however, was taken into custody after he refused to give the bail bond, saying the case was politically motivated and he does not wish to seek bail. He had said that he was ready to give an undertaking that he would appear in the court whenever required.
The court had on February 28 summoned Kejriwal as an accused in the case, observing that statements allegedly made by the AAP leader have the effect of ‘harming the reputation’ of the complainant.
