The Delhi High Court Today (Sept 4) asked the Tihar Jail authorities to file response on a plea by AAP MP Sanjay Singh claiming that he was not being allowed to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in prison. Singh said jail authorities denied him a physical meeting with Kejriwal in prison on grounds that he was an ex-prisoner.
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NEW DELHI: On September 4, the Delhi High Court directed the Tihar Jail authorities to file a response to a petition by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Singh, who claimed that he was not being allowed to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in prison. Singh’s plea argues that he was denied a physical meeting with Kejriwal because of his status as an ex-prisoner.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted the jail authorities three days to submit their response, setting the next hearing date for September 9. Kejriwal is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.
During the court proceedings, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Singh, argued that his client, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, was denied the opportunity to meet Kejriwal on the grounds of being an ex-prisoner.
He further asserted that Kejriwal’s family had expressed concerns about his serious medical conditions and wished to meet him to ensure his well-being.
Mehra expressed dissatisfaction with the way the jail authorities handled the situation, stating,
“The way the jail superintendent was dealing with things shows the shocking state of affairs. I am an undertrial and a sitting MP and I am giving an undertaking which I will not violate.”
The jail authorities reportedly cited Rule 588 of the Delhi Prison Rules as the reason for refusing Singh’s request.
According to this rule,
“ex-prisoners and habitual offenders, who apply to see their friends lodged in a prison, may not be permitted such interview by the superintendent unless and until there exists a genuine reason for such interview.”
Singh’s counsel argued that the purpose of this rule is to prevent “bad elements” from coming into contact with inmates, but claimed that it was being misused by the authorities in this case.
The counsel representing the jail authorities requested a week’s time to respond to the petition, but the court only granted three days for them to submit their response.
Sanjay Singh, who is also facing prosecution in the excise policy scam case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2.
This is not the first instance of an AAP MP requesting a physical meeting with Kejriwal in prison. Earlier, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak had approached the Delhi High Court with a similar request, seeking a direction for the jail authorities to allow him to meet Kejriwal.
Although Pathak had been permitted to meet the Chief Minister twice in April, his subsequent request was denied. The jail authorities claimed that Pathak had made politically motivated statements following his meetings, which they alleged were in violation of prison rules.
The court has already reserved its judgment on Pathak’s plea.
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