The Delhi High Court has asked for a response from the jail authorities regarding a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal is seeking two additional legal meetings with his lawyers via video conferencing from Tihar Jail, where he is currently in judicial custody concerning the Delhi Excise policy case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna has requested a reply within five days, with the matter set for arguments on July 15.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing Kejriwal, argued that there is no harm in granting the applicant additional legal meetings with his counsel. On the other hand, senior counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), also expressed a desire to file a response, though Gupta objected, stating that the ED is not a party in this application. Meanwhile, the counsel for the jail authorities appeared and requested more time to file their reply, which the court granted.
Kejriwal is challenging orders issued by the trial court on April 10 and July 1, which denied him the two additional legal meetings. The Rouse Avenue Court had dismissed Kejriwal's application seeking directions for the jail authorities to grant these meetings via video conferencing.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, who rejected the application, stated that the counsel for the applicant had failed to demonstrate how Kejriwal was entitled to the additional meetings based on the same grounds that had been previously discussed and dealt with.
The court highlighted that a similar application filed by Kejriwal for additional legal meetings had been dismissed on April 10, 2024. The special judge noted that the current application disclosed no new grounds to justify a different decision from the previous orders. The court also differentiated the relief granted to co-accused Sanjay Singh, who was allowed additional legal meetings by an order dated February 22, 2024.
The court's order on July 1 emphasised that there was no reason to allow Kejriwal's application for additional legal meetings. The decision reiterated the points made in the earlier order from April 4, 2024, and concluded that the application did not warrant a different outcome.
Kejriwal's counsel argued that the Chief Minister is involved in approximately 30 litigations across the country, necessitating additional meetings with his lawyers to ensure a fair trial.
The counsel also mentioned that Kejriwal has been arrested in another case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after filing this application. Furthermore, the relief granted to co-accused Sanjay Singh for additional legal meetings was cited as a precedent.
As the Delhi High Court awaits the response from the jail authorities, the case continues to draw attention, highlighting the ongoing legal battles faced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the complexities involved in ensuring fair legal proceedings for individuals in judicial custody.
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