NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, which allowed bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Friday restrained him from making any public comments on the merits of the CBI case, as the matter was sub judice before the trial court.
"This condition is necessitated to dissuade a recent tendency of building a self-serving narrative on public platforms," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said.
The top court maintained previous conditions prohibiting him from visiting the office and signing files, though Justice Bhuyan expressed reservations with such conditions.
The court, however, clarified this would not preclude Kejriwal from raising all his contentions before the trial court.
The bench, which dismissed his appeal against validity of arrest, also said the terms and conditions imposed by a coordinate bench in its orders on May 10, 2024 and July 12, 2024 passed in criminal appeal titled as 'Arvind Kejriwal Vs Directorate of Enforcement' are imposed mutatis mutandis in the present case.
The court also directed Kejriwal to remain present before the trial court on each and every date of hearing, unless granted exemption; and to fully cooperate with the trial court for expeditious conclusion of the proceedings.
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On July 12, a separate bench granted Kejriwal interim bail in the money laundering case with conditions that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat; he shall be bound by the statement made on his behalf that he shall not sign official files unless it is required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
He was also restrained from making any comment with regard to his role in the present case; and from interacting with any of the witnesses and or have access to any official files connected with the case.
In his judgment, Justice Bhuyan, on the contrary, said, "Though I have serious reservations on clauses which debars the appellant from entering the office of Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat as well as from signing files, having regard to judicial discipline, I would refrain from further expressing my views at this stage since those conditions have been imposed in the separate ED case by a two judge bench of this court."
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