A court here Friday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal till June 6 in a defamation case.

 

 Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha extended Kejriwal's judicial custody by 14 more days after he refused to furnish a personal bond in the defamation case filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

 

 Kejriwal Wednesday refused to pay the bail bond of Rs.10,000 and was sent to the Tihar Central Jail.  The court said that they were not going to change the earlier order and if Kejriwal wants he could challenge the order in a higher court.

 

 The court also asked Kejriwal what was the issue in furnishing the bond as it is like an undertaking only. "The court cannot follow different procedure for Kejriwal," said the court.

 

 Kejriwal reiterated that he will not furnish a personal bond and requested the court to release him with an undertaking.  Gadkari's counsel and senior advocate Pinky Anand said that 59 members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were released on personal bond Thursday.

 

 "Why is Kejriwal not doing so," Anand asked.  Prashant Bhushan, Kejriwal's counsel, said: "We will challenge the order in the higher court."