New Delhi: On Delhi High Court cancelling Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Keriwal's excise policy-linked money laundering case, the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor argued before the court that he is a victim of a "witch hunt". The CM also contented that cancellation of the bail, granted him by a trial court, would amount to "a grave miscarriage of justice", PTI reported.
Opposing the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging his bail in the case, Kejriwal said discretionary orders of bail cannot be set aside merely on "perceptions and fanciful imagination" of the prosecution.
"The order passed by the special judge granting bail was not only well reasoned but prima facie showed a due application of mind in considering as well as faithfully recording and dealing with 'relevant arguments and contentions raised on behalf of both the parties'.
"Therefore, to cancel the order would be tantamount to a grave miscarriage of justice," Kejriwal said in his reply filed to the ED's petition.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener urged the high court to dismiss ED's petition and to vacate the June 25 interim order by which the trial court's June 20 decision granting him bail was stayed.
On Wednesday, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who was scheduled to hear the ED's plea, was informed by the counsel for the probe agency that they were served with Kejriwal's reply to their petition only late Tuesday night, and the agency required some time to file a rejoinder.
While the probe agency's lawyer submitted that the copy of the reply was served to them at 11 pm on Tuesday, Kejriwal's counsel maintained that it was served to the investigating officer (IO) of the case at 1 pm.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, mentioned the matter before the court, saying a specific time be fixed for the hearing as there is extreme urgency in the case.