Delhi HC seeks Tihar reply to CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea for additional meetings with lawyers

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court addressed a plea on Monday from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is detained in connection with the Delhi excise scam cases, seeking additional virtual meetings with his lawyers.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted Tihar Jail authorities five days to respond and scheduled the matter for argument on July 15.
Kejriwal's plea challenges a trial court's decision that dismissed his request for more video-conference meetings with his legal team, arguing it is necessary for his right to a fair trial due to the multiple litigations he is facing across the country.
Currently, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and national convener is permitted two meetings per week with his lawyers. Kejriwal's legal team argues that with approximately 35 ongoing litigations, he needs additional meetings to adequately prepare his defense.
Kejriwal's lawyer stated, “The AAP leader was facing around 35 litigations across the country and on grounds of the right to a fair trial, he required two additional meetings with his lawyers via video conference to discuss the cases.”
The counsel for the Enforcement Directorate also requested to file a response to the plea.
The court inquired about any objections to the plea, and the lawyer representing the jail authorities responded that the regulation is consistent for all prisoners, allowing only two lawyer meetings per week.
He noted, “The rule is the same for all and a prisoner is entitled to two meetings with his or her advocate in a week.” He further added, “All the 35 cases were not being heard simultaneously in a week and so, there was no need for additional meetings.”
The trial court earlier dismissed Kejriwal’s plea, stating that the argument for additional meetings was not convincing given that the same grounds had been previously addressed.
The trial court remarked, “The counsel for the applicant had failed to convince the court on how the applicant was entitled to two additional legal meetings through video conference on the same grounds which have been discussed and dealt with in an earlier order.”
In separate legal petitions, Kejriwal has also challenged his arrest related to the corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning the excise policy scam and is seeking bail. These petitions are currently under review by the high court.
Kejriwal was taken into custody by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he remains under judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Earlier, Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, had been granted bail in the money laundering case by a trial court on June 20, but the high court stayed this order.
The controversy focuses on an excise policy that was scrapped in 2022 following a directive from the Delhi lieutenant governor for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption during its formulation and implementation.
According to the CBI and ED, these irregularities involved modifications to the excise policy and the extension of undue favors to license holders.