Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represents Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has clarified the confusion regarding the bail conditions imposed by the Supreme Court. Singhvi emphasized that there is misinformation about Kejriwal’s ability to sign official documents while on bail.
According to Singhvi, the Supreme Court’s recent order does not alter the previous conditions set on July 12 in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case. The key point is that Kejriwal can sign files related to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, but not other files. This distinction was made in the earlier order, which allows Kejriwal to perform necessary functions related to the Lieutenant Governor while his ministers handle other administrative tasks.
Singhvi also asserted that there should be no governance crisis in Delhi due to Kejriwal’s bail. As his ministers are signing files, and he can sign those for the Lieutenant Governor, the functioning of the Delhi government is expected to continue smoothly.
The Supreme Court’s recent bail order retains two conditions: Kejriwal must be present at trial court hearings and cooperate with the trial’s expeditious conclusion. The restrictions that previously prevented him from visiting the Delhi Secretariat or signing files have been removed, but these changes cannot be enforced immediately. They would require modification by a larger Constitution Bench, as outlined in previous orders.
Kejriwal’s current conditions include:
- Not visiting the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat.
- Signing official files only as needed for Lieutenant Governor’s clearance.
- Not commenting on his role in the case.
- Not interacting with witnesses or accessing official case files.
Kejriwal will need to request modifications to these conditions from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) through a larger bench.