New Delhi: The Supreme Court will consider today whether to grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case connected to an alleged excise policy scam by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, while hearing a plea filed by Kejriwal challenging his arrest in the money laundering case, said on Friday that it may consider granting interim bail to Kejriwal in view of the elections when it takes up the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

“It appears we can’t complete today. We will post it on Tuesday morning itself. Mr Raju (Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared for the ED), one more thing. If it is going to take time and it does appear to us that it may take some time, we will then consider the question of interim bail because of the elections,” the bench had told Raju on Friday.

Raju had told the bench that he would oppose bail to Kejriwal and had pointed to the statements made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh after getting bail last month in the same case.

The bench had said that it is putting the ED on notice about the intention of the court so that the agency is not taken by surprise on May 7, when the interim bail issue will be dealt with.

“We are not commenting on it either way. We are just saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail,” the bench had said.

The bench had also asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal, to take instructions.

“Because of the position he holds, whether he should be signing official files?” the bench had said.

Singhvi raised questions on timing of arrest of Kejriwal, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and when Model Code of Conduct was in place, claiming that his arrest in the excise policy case was politically motivated and completely illegal and he was arrested by the central agency a ‘most highhanded manner by abusing its power.

The ED has alleged that Kejriwal is the kingpin and the key conspirator of the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam along with his ministers in Delhi government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and other person.

The ED arrested Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in judicial custody in Tihar Jail, in the money laundering case on March 21.