COURT DEFERS HEARING ON ED'S COMPLAINT AGAINST ARVIND KEJRIWAL TO MAY 4
Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday adjourned to May 4 a hearing on the complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for non-compliance of the probe agency's summonses in the excise policy case.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor's legal team, who had earlier sought time from the court to file a reply to the probe agency's complaint, expressed their inability to provide a reply on Friday, citing a 'limited number of meetings' with Arvind Kejriwal.
Senior lawyer Ramesh Gupta appearing for the Delhi chief minister submitted that his team has not filed a rejoinder to the ED's reply since they were unable to have legal interviews with Arvind Kejriwal, who's in custody.
Advocate Gupta also pointed out that the ED had opposed Kejriwal's application before the court seeking more legal interviews.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, raised an objection to Advocate Gupta's argument and said that if Kejriwal's lawyers wished to file a reply they could have sought time for the same.Â
"Even if you (court) give time, we won't have interviews. How can we file any reply? We are not able to get instructions from Arvind Kejriwal," the AAP chief's counsel retorted.
"He (Kejriwal) has so many other cases on his head. You don't even allow him to have food, you don't even allow him to go to the toilet. ED is so much after Arvind Kejriwal' Gupta added.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing to May 4 so that the legal team of Arvind Kejriwal could file a rejoinder.
The Rouse Avenue court had in March granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal after he was asked to appear before it, taking into cognisance two complaints filed by the ED against the AAP chief for skipping multiple summonses issued to him.
The bail was granted by the court on a surety bond worth Rs 15,000 and a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
The court had asked Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it in person on Friday (April 19), acting on the ED's complaints.Â
While pronouncing the order, the court said with the "offence being bailable, accused Arvind Kejriwal is admitted to bail".
2024-04-19T18:06:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd