SC refuses to hear Arvind Kejriwal's bail extension plea, sends it to Chief Justice: 'CJI Chandrachud will take an appropriate decision'

The Supreme Court of India has rejected an urgent plea on bail extension by  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Kejriwal, who is the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering investigation related to the excise policy case, which has since been scrapped. He had been granted bail until June 1 by the Supreme Court to campaign during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, if the extension is not granted, Kejriwal will be required to surrender himself to Tihar Jail on June 2.

Kejriwal's attorney, Abhishek Singhvi, was questioned about why the plea was not brought up earlier while Justice Dipankar Datta, a member of the main bench, was presiding at a hearing before the Supreme Court's vacation bench.

The Supreme Court stated that the plea is being transferred to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), and now Justice Chandrachud would make a decision on the listing of Kejriwal's plea for an extension of interim bail, as the verdict in the main case has been reserved.

Kejriwal, citing health reasons, had requested an urgent listing of his plea for a seven-day extension. "My weight has dropped significantly. If a person loses 7 kg in a month without any reason, then it is a very serious issue. The doctors have recommended several tests. I have requested 7 days to complete all my tests within a week. There may be a serious underlying illness. The doctors said that conducting all the tests would help determine if there is a serious health condition or not," Kejriwal said during a press conference in Bathinda.

Kejriwal had been released from Delhi's Tihar Jail on May 10 after spending 50 days in custody in relation to corruption charges.