Kejriwal gets big relief from High Court, permission granted for two additional online meetings with lawyers

Arvind Kejriwal News: The Delhi High Court has given a big relief to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by allowing him to have two additional online meetings every week with his lawyers in jail. The court said that special circumstances require special measures. Kejriwal was till now allowed to meet his lawyers twice a week as per the jail rules in the alleged excise scam case. Justice Nina Bansal Krishna granted relief to Kejriwal keeping in mind his fundamental right to a fair trial and effective legal representation.

ED strongly opposed

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's lawyer said that he is facing about 35 cases across the country and for a fair trial he needs to have two additional meetings with his lawyers through video conference. The plea was strongly opposed by lawyers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Tihar jail authorities. Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was lodged in judicial custody in a money laundering case registered by the ED.

Arrested by ED on March 21

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by a trial court on June 20 in the money laundering case. The High Court, however, stayed the trial court's order. The Supreme Court had on July 12 granted him interim bail in the money laundering case till a larger bench considers three questions on the aspect of "necessity and necessity of arrest" under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He is yet to get bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise scam. The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while amending the excise policy and undue benefits were given to license holders.