"Sets dangerous precedent": Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai 'disagrees' with SC granting interim bail to Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], May 11 : Weighing in on the Supreme Court granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with alleged money laundering linked to the now-withdrawn excise policy, apex court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai on Saturday said the verdict "would set a dangerous precedent".
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Dehadrai expressed concern over the apex court allowing the ruling AAP chief to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections while granting him interim bail, saying that even Amritpal Singh, the chief of pro-Khalistan outfit Waris Punjab De can now move court citing the Kejriwal precedent saying he wants "to contest the elections".
Significantly, the separatist leader, who is currently lodged in the high-security Dibrugarh jail in Assam, has filed nomination as an Independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency of Punjab.
"I respectfully disagree with the reasoning and the rationale behind the Supreme Court's decision to grant interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal. In the eyes of the law, it really doesn't matter whether you're a CM, Union Minister or any other person. You're just (like) any other person before the court and this particular person (Kejriwal) had been served 9 summons and he had been evading these summons," Dehadrai told ANI.
He said the AAP supremo "did not deserve" an interim bail since he "allegedly destroyed certain evidence" relevant to the liquor policy case.
"There is material to indicate that he allegedly destroyed certain evidence, and did not cooperate with the investigating agencies. So given these antecedents of this person, I don't think he was deserving of an interim bail, especially for the reason that the general elections are going on," the Supreme Court advocate added.
Stressing that an interim bail is granted for 'humanitarian reasons', Dehadrai said it could only be considered "if a family member is unwell or if you are unwell".
Earlier, on Friday, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to the AAP national convenor till June 1 in the liquor policy case.
However, as per the terms of his bail, the Delhi CM cannot make any comment about his role in the case.
"In this case, participating in an election is a privilege and in a democracy, it is a privilege that should not loosely be granted," Dehadrai noted.
Stressing that a person facing 'corruption charges' cannot claim to be allowed to contest or campaign for elections, the Supreme Court advocate said, "If a person is accused of corruption, has been investigated for corruption, certainly then... that person should not claim as a right that I must be allowed to go and contest the election. It sets a dangerous precedent. Because now anti-nationals, even separatists such as Amritpal...we have seen...is coming forward and saying that I want to contest in the elections."
Kejriwal spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the excise policy case on March 21, days after the election schedule for the general elections was announced.
The interim bail would remain in effect till June 1 after which he would have to turn himself in before the authorities on June 2.
The CM can take part in election campaigning but cannot visit the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).