SC registry refuses urgent listing of Kejriwal’s plea for extension of interim bail

New Delhi: The Supreme Court registry declined an urgent request on Wednesday to extend Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail by seven days for medical tests.

The registry rejected the application, stating that since Kejriwal had the option to seek regular bail from the trial court, the plea was not admissible.

On Tuesday, a vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan acknowledged submissions from senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, and noted that the Chief Justice of India could decide on the listing of the interim plea since the main matter’s judgement had been reserved.

Kejriwal requested the extension of his interim bail for seven days to undergo various medical tests, including a PET-CT scan, due to his “sudden and unexplained weight loss coupled with high ketone levels,” which could indicate kidney issues, severe cardiac conditions, or even cancer. In a new plea filed on May 26, Kejriwal proposed to surrender to jail authorities on June 9 instead of the scheduled June 2 return.

The Supreme Court had granted Kejriwal a 21-day interim bail on May 10 to allow him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He was arrested in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy ‘scam’.

The court had ordered Kejriwal to surrender on June 2, the day after the final phase of the seven-phase election concluded.