The Delhi High Court on Monday observed that a plea seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the Chief Minister’s post was filed for “publicity” and the petitioner deserved to have “heavy costs” imposed on him for this.
The plea was filed by former AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar, the third such petition since the arrest of the Chief Minister. He was sent to judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. Justice Subramonium Prasad transferred the petition to the court of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, where the previous petitions were heard. “I would have imposed heavy costs,” he said.
The petitioner argued that Mr. Kejriwal’s “unavailability” complicates the constitutional mechanism and he can never function as the Chief Minister from the prison according to the mandate of the Constitution.
Order on arrest today
The High Court will pronounce its verdict on a petition by Mr. Kejriwal against his arrest on Tuesday. Senior advocate Abhishek M. Singhvi, representing Mr. Kejriwal, had questioned the timing of his arrest ahead of the Lok Sabha election.