Delhi Court Seeks Response Of Jail Authorities On Arvind Kejriwal's Plea To Let Wife Sunita Attend His Medical Examination Virtually

A Delhi Court on Friday sought response from the jail authorities on a plea moved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to allow his wife to join proceedings through virtual mode when he is examined by the medical board.

Vacation judge Mukesh Kumar of Rouse Avenue Courts listed Kejriwal's application for hearing tomorrow.

“Before passing any order, I deem it appropriate to call for reply from the jail superintendent concerned….The application be kept for tomorrow,” the court said.

As ED's counsel requested that time be granted for filing of response by the probe agency to Kejriwal's fresh application, the court orally remarked:

“Accused is in JC (judicial custody). Apki custody me nahi hai. Agar wo koi convinience chahte hain toh usme apka toh koi role hai nahi. You have no role to play.”

Special counsel Zoheb Hossain appearing for ED told court that the central probe agency is a vitally interested party because of proviso to Section 45 of the PMLA.

Accordingly, the court listed Kejriwal's application for hearing tomorrow. His bail plea has been listed on June 19. 

Last week, the court dismissed Kejriwal's plea seeking interim bail for seven days on medical grounds. Judge Baweja said that the extensive campaigning done by him during the elections shows that he is not suffering from any serious or life threatening ailment so as to entitle him to bail under PMLA.

The court had also said that Diabetes or even type-2 Diabetes cannot be said to be so serious an ailment so as to entitle Kejriwal to the relief claimed.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21. He was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 01. He surrendered a day thereafter. 

Kejriwal is presently in judicial custody till June 19.

Recently, ED filed a supplementary chargesheet in the money laundering case naming Kejriwal as well as the Aam Aadmi Party as accused. The court has reserved the order on cognizance on the seventh supplementary chargesheet filed by the probe agency.

On April 10, the Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, observing that ED was able to place enough material, statements of approvers and AAP's own candidate stating that Kejriwal was given money for Goa elections.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the case. While Sisodia continues to remain in jail, Singh was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court pursuant to a concession given by the ED.

ED has alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is the "kingpin" of Delhi excise scam and is directly involved in the use of proceeds of crime accounting to over Rs. 100 crores.

It is ED's case that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12 percent to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers (GoM).

The Central agency has also claimed that there was a conspiracy that was coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group to give extraordinary profit margins to wholesalers.

Nair was acting on behalf of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, according to the agency.