New Delhi, Apr 22 : The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation filed by a law student seeking “extraordinary interim bail” for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody related to a money laundering case stemming from an alleged excise scam. The court imposed costs of Rs 75,000 on the petitioner.
A bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan stated that the petition was “totally misconceived” and emphasized that the court cannot grant “extraordinary interim bail” to a person holding a high office. The bench, including Justice Manmeet PS Arora, remarked on the petitioner’s seeming lack of understanding of legal principles and questioned their authority to represent Kejriwal.
Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Kejriwal, labeled the PIL as “ambush” litigation and argued that the petitioner had no standing in the matter.
The petitioner, a law student, filed the PIL under the name “We, the people of India,” expressing concerns over Kejriwal’s safety in judicial custody and arguing for his release to fulfill his duties as chief minister. The petition also claimed the petitioner’s intention to safeguard public welfare, denying any personal gain from the matter.
The court’s decision reaffirmed the principles of equality and the Rule of Law enshrined in the Constitution, emphasizing that Kejriwal’s custody was pursuant to judicial orders that had not been contested.
