The Tihar Jail Superintendent has defended its decision before the Delhi High Court to deny Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh permission to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail, citing that Singh is an “ex-prisoner.” The superintendent referred to Rule 588 of the Delhi Prison Rules, which prohibits ex-prisoners and habitual offenders from meeting friends in prison unless there is a valid reason for the meeting.
Singh is currently out on bail in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, the same case for which Kejriwal is currently incarcerated.
The court was hearing Singh’s plea challenging the jail superintendent’s decision to refuse his requests to meet Kejriwal on two occasions, citing his status as an ex-prisoner. In an affidavit filed on Saturday, the Tihar superintendent argued that the decision was neither “unjust” nor “arbitrary.” The affidavit noted that when Kejriwal was remanded to judicial custody in April, he had requested the inclusion of eight family members, including Singh, in his visitors’ list. However, this request was denied from the outset based on Rule 588.
The prison authorities further argued that the right to visit or interview prisoners is a privilege, not a right, and is subject to the regulations of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018. “The decision taken by the respondent cannot be considered unjust or arbitrary. The respondent had already declined UTP (under trial prisoner) Arvind Kejriwal’s request to include Sanjay Singh in the list of visitors before the petitioner made his request to visit,” the affidavit said.
It added that the rules were put in place to ensure the effective administration of prisons, requiring strict adherence to maintain order and discipline within the system.
