No Special Treatment: Delhi Court Rejects Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea for Increased Legal Meetings

A Delhi court has dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea to augment his legal meetings while in judicial custody for the money laundering case linked to the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja rejected the application following a hearing, having reserved her verdict on April 5.

Advocate Vivek Jain, representing Kejriwal, argued for more legal meetings, citing the complexity of the numerous cases against him. However, the court dismissed the plea, asserting that Kejriwal cannot be treated as an exception, emphasizing that his confinement entails limited exposure to the outside world in accordance with the law.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the application, highlighting concerns about the misuse of legal meetings for purposes other than consultation. They informed the court about statements recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) suggesting Kejriwal’s involvement in decision-making through his lawyers.

ED’s special public prosecutor, Zoheb Hossain, argued against granting five legal meetings, citing jail manual provisions and asserting that limitations on outside communication are integral to judicial custody.

Kejriwal, arrested by the ED on March 21 and currently held in Tihar jail since April 1, faced a setback as the Delhi High Court recently dismissed his petition challenging the arrest and subsequent ED remand.

The ED alleges Kejriwal’s complicity in a conspiracy involving a ₹100 crore bribe paid to the AAP by a group benefitting from alterations in the 2021-22 policy. Kejriwal is the third AAP leader arrested in connection with the Delhi excise case, following former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

While Sisodia remains in judicial custody, Singh was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2. The case was initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a recommendation for investigation by Delhi L-G VK Saxena in July 2022, concerning purported irregularities in the policy.

This ruling underscores the court’s stance on equitable treatment under the law, irrespective of an individual’s position or circumstances.

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