NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Tihar Jail authorities seeking their response to a plea filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking permission for additional meetings with his legal team.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 15.
Kejriwal has challenged a July 1 trial court order rejecting his application for directions to the prison authorities to grant him two additional meetings in a week with his lawyers via video conference.
During the hearing, advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing Kejriwal, argued that requesting additional meetings with lawyers is not prejudicial in any way. When ED’s special counsel Zoheb Hossain intervened, Gupta said this matter is strictly between Kejriwal and the jail authorities, and the central investigative agency has no place to comment.
Gupta further noted that Kejriwal currently has 35 cases pending against him, necessitating two extra virtual meetings with his legal team.
The counsel representing the jail authorities submitted that all prisoners are entitled to two meetings with his or her advocate in a week. He added all the 35 cases were not being heard simultaneously in a week and so, there was no need for additional meetings.
Currently, Kejriwal is allowed to meet with his legal team twice a week. However, given the complexity and number of cases against him, he had initially petitioned the trial court for permission to hold two additional meetings per week. He also suggested that these meetings could take place via virtual conference to facilitate better legal strategy preparation. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja previously rejected Kejriwal’s plea, noting that a similar request had already been denied.