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Synopsis

The Rouse Avenue Court, on Friday, told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that it could not oppose the petition of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to allow his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to participate in his medical consultations via video conferencing. 

Judge Mukesh Kumar emphasized that Kejriwal is under judicial custody, and therefore the ED holds no authority to intervene in his requests for relief. The court directed the Tihar jail superintendent to respond to Kejriwal's plea regarding his wife's participation in medical consultations through video conferencing.

Furthermore, the court firmly stated that while it would seek a response from the jail authorities, the ED lacked any jurisdiction in the matter. The court accordingly listed the matter for June 19, 2024, for further proceedings.

Kejriwal, represented by Senior Advocate N Hariharan, sought permission to provide inputs on his health condition to the medical board formed by AIIMS, pursuant to a court directive issued earlier in April.  

Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing ED, urged the court to obtain a report from jail authorities regarding the feasibility of granting video conferencing access to Kejriwal's wife. 

Background: 

Previously, the Delhi court had denied his interim plea, noting that his active participation in extensive election campaigning suggested he did not suffer from any severe or life-threatening medical condition.

Kejriwal's arrest occurred on the evening of March 21st subsequent to the high court's denial of protection against coercive measures in a case related to money laundering associated with an excise policy, prompting searches by the ED at the Chief Minister's residence in Delhi.

During a hearing on Kejriwal's plea against the ED's arrest, it was disclosed that personal communications between Kejriwal and Hawala operators had been uncovered. The ED alleged that Kejriwal had demanded Rs 100 crores during the Goa elections, which was subsequently routed through hawala transactions.

Earlier, on May 10th, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Kejriwal, permitting him to campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party in the 2024 General Elections. Following this, the ED informed the court that Kejriwal had made derogatory public statements post his release on interim bail. The terms of interim bail stipulated that Kejriwal should refrain from contacting witnesses or accessing official documents related to the case.