Delhi court dismisses Kejriwal’s application seeking to increase legal meetings

The Delhi chief minister had filed an application before the court seeking to increase his legal meetings from twice a week to five times a week

A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed the application moved by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking to increase his legal meetings while he is in judicial custody in the money laundering case related to the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the application after reserving her verdict on April 5. (File photo)

The Delhi chief minister had filed an application before the court seeking to increase his legal meetings from twice a week to five times a week.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the application after reserving her verdict on April 5.

Advocate Vivek Jain, appearing for Kejriwal, had submitted that there are 35 to 40 cases going on against him and half an hour twice a week is not sufficient for a person to understand and give instructions.

He further argued that it is the most basic right and cited the example of AAP parliamentarian Sanjay Singh who was granted permission to meet his counsels thrice a week, while he was in judicial custody.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the application stating that merely because he chooses to run the government from the prison he cannot be treated as an exception and cannot be granted the privilege.

They had also apprised the court that legal meetings are being misused for purposes other than consultation and submitted that there are statements recorded under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that Kejriwal is passing orders through the lawyers.

Arguing further ED’s special public prosecutor, Zoheb Hossain, argued that granting of five legal meetings is against the jail manual while pointing out that one of the consequences of JC is that your exposure to the outside world is limited and is in accordance with law.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 and has been lodged in Tihar jail in judicial custody since April 1.

The Delhi high court on Tuesday also dismissed Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and subsequent ED remand.

ED has alleged that Kejriwal was part of a conspiracy in which ₹100 crore bribe was paid to the AAP by the so-called South group who benefitted from changes made in the 2021-22 policy.

Kejriwal is the third AAP leader to be arrested in connection with the irregularities in the Delhi excise case.

Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh were also arrested in connection with the same case. Sisodia is currently under judicial custody in Tihar jail while Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2.

The case was taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after Delhi L-G VK Saxena recommended a probe into the alleged irregularities in the policy in July 2022.