The Delhi High Court has ordered Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to remove a video recording from her social media accounts. The video in question captured Kejriwal addressing Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on March 28, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged liquor policy scam.
A Division Bench of Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Amit Sharma also directed social media companies, along with Sunita Kejriwal, to pull down any posts or reposts regarding the video recorded on that day.
The High Court’s directive came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Vaibhav Singh, alleging violations of the court’s video conferencing rules during the proceedings. Alongside Sunita Kejriwal, the court also issued notices to other parties named in the PIL, including social media platforms Facebook and YouTube, instructing them to take down posts associated with the controversial video.
Sunita Kejriwal, a former bureaucrat and active Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter, has found herself at the centre of a legal controversy. Her involvement in disseminating the video of her husband’s court address has drawn significant attention, particularly amidst allegations of violating legal protocols surrounding court proceedings.
The PIL contends that Sunita Kejriwal and other individuals willfully disobeyed the Video Conferencing Rules set forth by the Delhi High Court, which aim to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of judicial proceedings. The court has scheduled the next hearing for July 9 to further address the matter.
Arvind Kejriwal’s appearance before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja on March 28, amidst accusations by the Enforcement Directorate of involvement in a liquor policy scam, sparked widespread attention after audio and video recordings of his address surfaced on social media. In his impassioned speech, Kejriwal vehemently defended himself, accusing the agency of unfairly targeting him and his party.
“I was arrested… but no court has proved me guilty,” Kejriwal asserted during his court address, questioning the circumstances leading to his arrest despite extensive legal documentation. The Enforcement Directorate alleges that Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received substantial bribes for liquor sales licenses, funds purportedly used for electoral campaigns in states like Goa and Punjab.
The PIL, spearheaded by Vaibhav Singh, seeks stringent action against those responsible for recording and disseminating court proceedings without authorisation. It calls for establishing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate and prosecute alleged violations, stressing the importance of upholding judicial protocols and preventing potential tampering with legal processes.
