Delhi HC allows Kejriwal additional meetings with lawyers

A bench of justice Neena Bansal Krishna said that special situations called for special remedies.

“However, when balancing the policy with the fundamental rights of the jail inmate, the request of the petitioner for two additional legal meetings with his lawyers through video conferencing, in the given circumstance of huge number of cases pending against him, cannot be termed unreasonable,” the court said in its July 18 order, which was released on Thursday.

The judge said, “Special situations call for special remedies. In view of the foregoing discussion, it is held that in recognition of the fundamental right of fair trial and effective legal representation, the petitioner be granted two additional legal meetings with the counsel through video conferencing in a week, till he is confined to jail.”

Kejriwal had approached the high court against a city court’s April 10 and July 1 orders, rejecting his plea seeking additional meetings with his lawyers.