The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that bail applications are not to be adjourned unnecessarily and expressed hope that the Delhi High Court would decide the default bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain without delay.
The top court declined to hear Jain’s petition challenging the Delhi High Court order deferring his bail plea related to the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.
A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti was hearing Jain’s challenge against the Delhi High Court’s May 28 order that deferred his default bail plea to July 9.
“It goes without saying that bail prayers are not to be unnecessarily adjourned,” the bench said.
However, the Supreme Court did not find merit in Jain’s challenge to the Delhi High Court order.
“This petition is against an order of the Delhi High Court adjourning the hearing of the bail application to 09.07.2024. Senior advocate AM Singhvi submits that the question of law which would govern the decision of the High Court is engaging the attention of a three-judge bench of this court, and therefore it is appropriate that this matter is tagged with that matter,” the bench said.
“We do not find any merit in the submission because the High Court will decide the matter on its own merits and if the petitioner is aggrieved with the High Court’s order, he can challenge it,” it added.
On Monday, the top court described as “unusual” the Delhi High Court’s decision to put on hold the trial court’s order granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The bench, which will hear Kejriwal’s plea against the interim stay by HC on June 26, said, “Normally, on stay applications, orders are not reserved. They are passed at the hearing itself, on the spot. So, it is a bit unusual.”
The bench said it would like to wait for the High Court’s order before deciding on the AAP chief’s plea.
Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30, 2022, on the charges of money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On May 28, Jain had moved the top court after the Delhi High Court adjourned his default bail plea till July 9.
Before that, on May 15, Jain had challenged Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court’s order denying him default bail in the matter.
