Kejriwal attends Mumbai court in unauthorised rally case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today flew down to Mumbai and appeared before a local court in connection with a case for allegedly holding a rally without required permission during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Kejriwal was present in the court for about 70 minutes and left for Delhi shortly after the hearing.
On December 9 last year, the suburban Kurla court had granted him permanent exemption from appearance in the case. However, the magistrate Richa Khedekar had directed the AAP chief to appear today for furnishing a bail bond.
The magistrate today allowed the Delhi CM to leave after his aide Satish Jain stood as a surety for him.

Co-accused Meera Sanyal also filed a permanent exemption application on medical grounds. The court is likely to pass its order on the plea next week.
The lawyer of social activist Medha Patkar, another accused in the case, informed the court that she was in Delhi.

Kejriwal had held the rally to campaign for Sanyal and Patkar.
AAP supporters had gathered outside the court building and several hoardings of him dotted the area.
After the hearing, Kejriwal also met the lawyers at the Kurla court bar association.
Police have claimed that his rally was "unscheduled" and held without prior requisite permissions from traffic police.

Kejriwal had earlier approached the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the FIR and exemption from appearing before the magistrate, but the HC refused to quash the FIR and asked him to appear before the magistrate and seek permanent exemption from appearance from that court.