The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to arrange facilities for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to govern from jail. The court also imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner.
A bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora stated that since Kejriwal had already approached the Supreme Court regarding his arrest, no further orders were needed for his facilities while in judicial custody.
The petitioner, a lawyer, also requested the court to restrain Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva from pressuring Kejriwal to resign. The bench remarked that the court could not censor the media or prevent political opponents from making statements, asking rhetorically if they should impose emergency or martial law to gag the press and political rivals.
“Do we impose emergency? We impose censorship? We impose martial law? How do we gag the press? The political rivals?” the court stated, instructing the petitioner to keep a bank draft of Rs 1 lakh ready as costs.
The petitioner argued that although it was practically impossible to run the government from jail, it could be feasible with the use of technology, such as video conferencing. He also sought to stop the media from running sensational headlines about Kejriwal’s potential resignation and the imposition of President’s Rule.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma contended that the petition was misguided and filed with ulterior motives.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21, and since then, his case has drawn significant media attention and political debate. The Delhi High Court’s dismissal of this PIL adds another layer to the ongoing legal and political narrative surrounding his arrest.