New Delhi, July 25, 2024
The Delhi High Court has allowed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who faces corruption and money laundering charges in the alleged liquor scam, two additional legal meetings with his lawyers through video conferencing in a week till he is confined to Tihar Jail.
Allowing CM Kejriwal’s plea seeking permission to spend more time with his legal team, the court said that his request for additional meetings cannot be termed unreasonable.
A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna rejected the prosecution’s contention that no special status can be given to the incarcerated Chief Minister as not available to other inmates under the jail policy.
“The opposition that no special status can be given to the petitioner as available to other jail inmates, again has no merit because it is not a situation of seeking any special favour as it has sought to be argued on behalf of the state, but it is a fundamental right which is sought to be enforced,” it said.
In its detailed judgment, the Delhi HC said that it could not be ignored that similar relief of additional legal meetings has been allowed to co-accused Sanjay Singh.
Earlier on April 10, a Delhi court had rejected Kejriwal’s plea to enhance the number of meetings to five per week.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Court observed that CM Kejriwal was not even utilising the permitted two legal interviews per week with his counsel solely for discussing his pending litigations and has rather used the allotted time for purposes other than legal interviews.
In his application, the AAP supremo had claimed that two weekly meetings with his lawyer, as permitted by the court, were insufficient as he faced multiple cases in various states and needed more time for consultations.(Agency)
