New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra on Friday recused himself from hearing Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain’s bail plea in a money laundering case and also extended his interim bail till the next date of hearing.
A bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Mishra presided over the case, wherein Jain has challenged Delhi High Court’s decision denying him bail in April. During the hearing, senior advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi orally mentioned the matter when the bench assembled, seeking a pass-over.
“I want to clarify that I am not seeking an adjournment. I am ready to argue today.” However, on Justice Bopanna saying that they are unable to take it up before this bench, Singhvi clarified that he was only asking for a pass-over, urging the court to re-list the matter for hearing on a Tuesday. “But if Your Lordships have a difficulty…But to be frank, and Mr Raju will agree with me, it’s a Tuesday case. At the minimum, I will take an hour. It’s life and death for this person,” Singhvi said.
Justice Bopanna directed that Satyendar Jain and co-accused Ankush Jain’s bail plea be listed before Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to obtain appropriate orders for reassignment to a bench of which Justice Mishra was not a part.
Last week, the court had granted the AAP leader interim bail till September 1 (today), which was also extended on Friday till the next date of hearing.
