New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Wednesday dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking an increase in his legal meetings in Tihar Jail from twice to five times a week on Wednesday.
Rouse Avenue Court rejected the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor’s plea, which he filed before it on April 4. In his plea, he stated that he is facing multiple FIRs in various states, requiring a lot of legal work.
Kejriwal had argued that the number of meetings should be increased to accommodate this workload. The court had sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Tihar jail authorities regarding this matter.
Even Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leader Sanjay Singh weren’t allowed to meet Kejriwal. Last week, the jail authorities had told Mann that he could meet the Delhi CM, but only as a regular visitor in the ‘mulaqat jangla’.
The ‘mulakat jangla’ is a room inside the jail with an iron mesh that separates the inmate from the visitor.
Kejriwal’s wife Sunita and personal secretary Bibhav Kumar met with him inside the jail on Tuesday. They said that this was Delhi CM’s first in-person meeting with them since he was sent to judicial custody on April 1, PTI reported quoting sources.
According to the jail manual, an inmate can meet physically or through video conference visitors twice a week. He has to give the names of such visitors before the meeting.
Lodged in jail number 2, Kejriwal has listed five names, including his wife, children, personal secretary and AAP MP Sandeep Pathak, whom he can meet in jail. As per jail protocol, he will have to add Mann’s name to the list.