No Bombay High Court relief for Kejriwal in Mankhurd rally case

The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to grant exemption to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from appearing before a magistrate while hearing a petition filed by him seeking to quash the complaint registered against him.

A division bench of justices Ranjit More and VL Achliya observed that as the Aam Aadmi Party's chairperson, Kejriwal was responsible for holding the rally without permission last year. The bench then asked him to withdraw the petition and seek discharge before the appropriate court.

Last March, a complaint was lodged against Kejriwal for holding a rally in Mankhurd without prior and requisite permissions from the traffic police. Kejriwal had approached the high court seeking quashing of the FIR and exemption from appearing before the Kurla metropolitan magistrate court.

Advocate Mihir Desai argued that Kejriwal had nothing to do with taking permissions and an FIR can be registered against the local party member concerned.

Kejriwal is supposed to appear before the court on Saturday.

Refusing any relief, the bench said, "Let him (Kejriwal) appear tomorrow before the magistrate and take permanent exemption from appearance," and adjourned the petition for hearing till December 11.