Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will have to return to Tihar Jail tomorrow (June 2) as a local court on Saturday reserved the order on his interim bail plea for June 5 in connection with his arrest in an alleged money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy case.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has moved the court seeking interim bail for a week on medical grounds.
The Chief Minister's counsel told the court that Arvind Kejriwal is ill and needs treatment.
However, his application was opposed by the Enforcement Directorate, which claimed that the AAP boss has suppressed facts and made false statements, including about his health.
The probe agency also said that Arvind Kejriwal will be taken to the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) or other hospital in case any medical test is required.
Arvind Kejriwal was earlier granted interim bail by the Supreme Court to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections and it ends on June 1. He will have to surrender before Tihar Jail authorities on June 2 (Sunday).
AAP chief moved the Delhi court after the Supreme Court registry declined to urgently list the request for a seven-day extension of his interim bail for medical tests. The court noted that since Arvind Kejriwal has the option to seek regular bail from the trial court, his plea is not maintainable.
Kejriwal sought an extension of his interim bail to undergo several medical tests, including a PET-CT scan, due to "sudden and unexplained weight loss along with high ketone levels". These symptoms, he said, could indicate kidney issues, serious cardiac conditions, or even cancer.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, the Chief Minister said that he will be surrendering on June 2 and, in an emotional appeal, asked the people to take care of his old and ailing parents after he is gone.
"I will leave my house around 3 pm (on Sunday) to surrender. It is possible that this time they will torture me more, but I will not bow down," he said.
The AAP chief also assured the people of Delhi that all the facilities available to them will continue even in his absence.
"You take care of yourself, I worry a lot about you in jail. If you are happy, your Kejriwal will also be happy. I will not be among you, of course, but you don't worry, all your work will continue. And after returning, I will also start giving Rs 1000 every month to every mother and sister," he said.
