A plea filed by jailed Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal has been allowed by the Delhi High Court to hold two additional meetings with his legal team while he is lodged in Tihar Jail.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna passed the order after observing that special situations call for special remedies. The court said, ‘Special situations call for special remedies. In view of the foregoing discussion, it is held that in recognition of fundamental right of fair trial and effective legal representation, the petitioner be granted two additional legal meetings with the Counsel through video conferencing in a week, till he is confined to Jail. The petition, is accordingly, allowed’.
Currently, Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a case initiated against him over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22.
Both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are investigating the allegations against him. Recently he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case. However, he continues to remain in jail in connection with the CBI case. Meanwhile, Kejriwal had moved a plea for more meetings with his lawyers while he remains in jail.
The ED and Tihar Jail had opposed the plea arguing that when a common man is allowed only two meetings a week with their legal team, there is no reason to make any exception for Kejriwal.
However, the High Court has now opined that Kejriwal is only seeking the enforcement of his fundamental right to a fair trial and legal consultation while he is confined to Tihar Jail as he has 30-40 cases in various States against him.
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