The Enforcement Directorate on Monday told the Delhi High Court that the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was based on “perverse” findings as it did not consider the material demonstrating his “neck deep involvement” in the offence of money laundering linked to the alleged excise scam.In a written note filed in relation to its plea seeking a stay on the trial courtās decision, the agency contended the order suffers from a “jurisdictional defect” since it was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case.
It also said the trial judge did not record her satisfaction that āthere are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offenceā as per section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On June 20, Special Judge Niyay Bindu, who sat as the vacation judge, granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime in the money laundering case.
On July 21, high court’s vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, however, put an interim stay on the trial court order as it reserved verdict on the issue of stay on a plea moved by the ED.