Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Arvind Kejriwal’s Appeal Today, Signifying Setback

The Supreme Court is scheduled to reopen next Monday, and it is anticipated that the petition from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader will be heard then. According to reports, the court will not assemble a special bench to urgently hear Mr. Kejriwal’s appeal. The Supreme Court’s calendar indicates that the court will be closed for Eid-Ul-Fitr on Thursday, a local holiday on Friday, followed by the weekend, and will resume session on Monday.

Mr. Kejriwal’s counsel, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, raised the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and requested an urgent hearing. However, the Chief Justice did not specify whether a hearing would be granted today, stating “We will see, we will look into it.” Previously, the high court dismissed Mr. Kejriwal’s challenge to his March 21 arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to Delhi’s now-cancelled liquor policy.

The court emphasized that there is no separate protocol for questioning a common man and a Chief Minister, and that it would not lay down different categories of laws based on one’s public office. AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed hope for a favorable verdict in the Supreme Court, noting that no illegal money was found by the ED and the CBI during their searches regarding the Delhi liquor policy case. He also claimed that witnesses have been pressured to alter their statements and that this issue is not just about money laundering, but a significant political conspiracy in India’s history.