Advocate Bhushan says why Kejriwal declined to furnish bond to secure bail

Advocate Prashant Bhushan who appeared for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, stated that his client refused to provide any bond for securing his bail as in previous cases involving him the court found it unnecessary to ask for any bond.

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"Based on his values and principles Arvind Kejriwal denied taking bail in the Nitin Gadkari defamation case. In last four political cases like Pawan Khera on behalf of Shiela Dikshit had filed a defamation case, then Amit Sibal on behalf of Kapil Sibal had filed a defamation case, again when we conducted a protest on coal gate the state slapped a case of unlawful assembly. The court never asked for any bond or bail and court just finished the case on undertaking and set new dates for hearing. The court had recorded in last four cases that there was no need to take a bond as he is not going to run away from appearing. He took the same step in those cases also and court never asked for any bond," Bhushan said.

Earlier, Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody for two days by a court.

Kejriwal has refused to furnish a bail bond in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

The court had on February 28 summoned Kejriwal as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint observing that statements allegedly made by the AAP leader have the effect of "harming the reputation" of the complainant.

The summon was issued against Kejriwal on a complaint in which BJP leader Nitin Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by Kejriwal, who had included his name in the party's list of "India's most corrupt".