Meeting between Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal cancelled for security reasons: Tihar Jail administration

NEW DELHI: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh will not be able to meet jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday as the Tihar Jail administration has revoked permission for the meeting citing security reasons, sources said.

Sources added that earlier an appointment between Mann, Singh and Kejriwal was fixed by the Tihal Jail administration. However, since the permission to meet has been revoked, the prison authorities will decide on a new time for the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Minister approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the Delhi High Court order which dismissed his plea challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the Excise policy case.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said that Kejriwal’s arrest is not in contravention of law and remand can’t be termed “illegal”, however, the Aam Aadmi Party expressed hope of getting justice from the Supreme Court.

The Delhi High Court said that it thinks that the accused has been arrested and his arrest and remand have to be examined as per law and not as per the timing of elections.

Kejriwal’s challenge to the timing of arrest before general elections in the absence of any mala fide on the part of ED is not sustainable, said the court.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21. The trial court sent Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15, 2024. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.

The agency also claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.