The Delhi High Court has allowed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to hold two additional virtual meetings with his lawyers every week in jail, noting that special situations warrant “special remedies” as the leader is embroiled in more than 30 cases in various States.
“The request of the petitioner [Mr. Kejriwal] for two additional legal meetings with his lawyers through videoconferencing, in the given circumstance of huge number of cases pending against him, cannot be termed unreasonable,” the court said in its July 18 order, which was made available on Thursday.
It further said to ask the petitioner to move independent application in each case would be “denying him the right of effective legal help”.
“Moving of such applications in individual case is also likely to lead to the multiplicity of similar applications and in fact, can result in unnecessary delay,” the court noted.
Mr. Kejriwal was hitherto entitled to two meetings with his lawyers a week, in accordance with prison rules. The CM had stated in his plea that even though he has been granted interim bail in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he continues to be in custody in other matter.
The Chief Minister submitted that he is facing litigation in courts of Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Assam and Delhi and he requires thorough legal consultation with his lawyers.
The plea was opposed by the counsel for the ED and Tihar Jail authorities. The court said it cannot be ignored that similar relief of additional legal meetings was allowed to co-accused and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh.
