Delhi excise scam: Trial court bail order on Kejriwal not to be given effect till HC hears ED's challenge

Arvind Kejriwal. File Pic

The Delhi High Court on Friday said the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shall not be given effect to till it hears the ED's plea challenging the relief granted in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam, reported news agency PTI.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) mentioned its plea challenging the trial court order for an urgent hearing before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, which said the case file will come to it in 10-15 minutes and after that it will hear the matter, reported PTI.

The high court said till then the trial court order shall not be acted upon.

The ED has challenging the trial court's order passed on Thursday evening, reported PTI.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, sought a stay on the trial court order contending that the agency was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case, reported PTI.

The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest on his petition challenging summonses issued to him in Delhi excise scam.

On May 10, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail until June 1 to allow him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

On Thursday, the Rouse Avenue Court granted regular bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case despite Enforcement Directorate opposing the bail application.

Vacation judge Nyay Bindu of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court granted the bail upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.

(With inputs from PTI)