In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at securing the release of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is presently incarcerated in connection with the now-defunct excise policy case. The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Arora, not only rejected the plea but also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on the law student who filed the petition.

The court’s decision was clear, stating that the petition was not maintainable as Arvind Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody pursuant to unchallenged judicial orders. Additionally, the bench emphasized that in the realm of writ jurisdiction, it cannot grant extraordinary interim bail in a pending criminal case against a person holding a high office.

The PIL, submitted by a fourth-year law student, aimed to secure relief for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in all criminal cases until the completion of his term in office or the conclusion of trials. The petitioner argued that since Kejriwal’s arrest by the federal agency on March 21, the functioning of the Delhi government and its ministers has been severely impacted, with the administration operating in a manner akin to a “headless organization.”