The Supreme Court hinted at a potential hearing on May 7 regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's interim bail plea amidst the ongoing 2024 general elections.

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta mentioned that arguments on Kejriwal's plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and subsequent remand in the excise policy case might be time-consuming. Therefore, they suggested that arguments on the interim bail matter could be heard on Tuesday.

However, the bench clarified that no final decision had been made yet. They informed all counsels involved that the possibility of interim relief was being considered due to the election context. The bench held that the decision on granting bail was yet to be determined and that both sides would be given an opportunity to present their arguments without surprises.

Addressing ASG Raju and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Kejriwal, Justice Khanna also raised concerns about whether Kejriwal should continue signing official files given his current position.

Inquiring about the election dates in Delhi during the hearing, the bench took note of the context in which the legal proceedings were unfolding.

Kejriwal, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had contested a Delhi High Court judgment that upheld his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in the excise policy case. Kejriwal argued that his arrest, following the announcement of the General Elections, was motivated by external factors.

The High Court, on April 9, had dismissed Kejriwal's plea for release from jail, rejecting claims of political vendetta and highlighting the consequences of his non-cooperation with ED summons. The court noted that his repeated absence from nine ED summons over six months undermined any assertion of special privilege as Chief Minister.

Kejriwal's arrest on March 21 by the ED relates to a money laundering investigation concerning alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, which has since been cancelled.