We will not go into that: Supreme Court to ED on Kejriwal's ‘won’t have to return to jail' remark

“We welcome the criticism of the verdict. Our order is clear on when he has to surrender,” the SC bench said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) contention against Arvind Kejriwal, who, in recent days, has repeatedly asserted that if people vote for his AAP and the opposition INDIA bloc in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, he would "not have to go back to jail."

AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal (HT Photo)

“We welcome the criticism of the verdict,” stated Justice Sanjiv Khanna, heading the two-judge bench comprising himself and Justice Dipankar Datta, as the apex court resumed hearing the Delhi CM's plea against his arrest by the ED in the excise policy case.

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“We will not go into that (Kejriwal's statement). Our order is clear on when he has to surrender. We are the apex court and the rule of law shall be governed by this. We did not make an exception for anybody,” Justice Khanna responded to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the ED.

SG Mehta then argued that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor's remarks are like “slapping the institution (Supreme Court)."

“We refuse to go into this,” the bench reiterated.

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March, days after the Election Commission released scheduled for the Lok Sabha elections, was given interim bail by the SC bench on May 10 to allow him to campaign for the polls. Also, the bail is conditional, and prohibits the AAP chief from discharging his chief ministerial duties and commenting on the case.

Kejriwal has been asked to surrender on June 2, a day after the seventh and final phase of polling. All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will vote in the sixth phase on May 25. The AAP is contesting the seats in a 4-3 seat-sharing agreement with the Congress party.