New Delhi: After 21 days of freedom, AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to return to Tihar Jail on June 2 in connection with the excise policy case. A city court reserved its decision on his plea for interim bail on medical grounds on Saturday.
A day before his scheduled surrender, Kejriwal convened a meeting of the AAP’s political affairs committee at his residence and later attended the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s home.
Kejriwal was initially released from jail on May 10 after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He announced on Friday that he would surrender to jail authorities around 3 pm on Sunday.
The court has reserved its ruling on Kejriwal’s application for interim bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, with a decision expected on June 5. The court noted that the plea focused on interim bail for medical reasons, not an extension of the Supreme Court’s previous bail.
Earlier, the Supreme Court registry declined an urgent hearing of Kejriwal’s request to extend his interim bail by seven days for medical tests, citing weight loss and high ketone levels.
Kejriwal has urged the public not to be disheartened if anything happens to him in jail, expressing pride in his imprisonment as a stand against “dictatorship.” He also asked Delhi residents to pray for his elderly parents.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticized Kejriwal, calling for an end to his “illness drama” and insisting that he should respect the law and return to jail. Sachdeva expressed regret that Kejriwal, after campaigning in good health, is now seeking bail on medical grounds.
