Delhi HC adjourns Devangana Kalita's plea seeking video conferencing with lawyers

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 3 hearing on a plea filed by Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita, who was arrested in a case related to her alleged role in northeast Delhi violence, seeking to have video conferencing with her lawyers.

This comes as legal meetings are suspended in Tihar Jail in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advocate Adit Pujari, the counsel of Kalita, told a bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru that a similar kind of plea filed by another co-accused Natasha Narwal has been disposed of after Tihar Jail has agreed to the plea to some extent.

He requested the court to allow Kalita to have video-conferencing with her lawyer twice a week for 30 minutes with the facility of headphones and screen sharing. He also requested the high court to allow Kalita to access non-academic books from the jail library.

Meanwhile, Tihar Jail has also filed a status report before the court.

Kalita, in her plea, sought direction to Superintendent of Central Jail, Tihar, Delhi to allow her access to counsel by way of video conferencing and also requested permission to communicate with her family regularly saying that it is mandated by the Prison Rules, 2018.

She has also sought directions to Jail Authorities to permit her to access to books and reading material.

Kalita, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was arrested by Delhi Police on March 23 in connection with a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Jafrabad.

However, she was later granted bail. Soon after getting bail in the matter, she was again arrested by Delhi Police on March 24 in another case related to her alleged role in the northeast Delhi violence in February this year and is now undergoing judicial custody.

( With inputs from ANI )