Delhi High Court Denies Interim Relief to Kejriwal in Assembly Privileges Case
The Delhi High Court has made a significant verbal clarification that former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has received no interim protection from the court regarding notices issued by the Delhi Assembly's Privileges Committee concerning the controversial 'phansi ghar' inauguration. Justice Sachin Datta explicitly stated during Monday's proceedings that no interim order exists in favor of the AAP leader, while also expressing doubts about the maintainability of his petition.
The Legal Standoff Unfolds
This development comes after Kejriwal, along with former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, repeatedly failed to respond to notices requiring their appearance before the Privileges Committee. The AAP leaders have challenged these notices, arguing that the committee lacks proper jurisdiction in this matter and has failed to follow essential procedural safeguards.
Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, representing the Assembly and Privileges Committee, informed Justice Datta that the petitioners have been seeking adjournments before the committee by citing pending High Court proceedings. Mehta emphasized that no formal summons had been served to Kejriwal and Sisodia—instead, they had received notices regarding the inquiry into factual matters.
Justice Datta recorded Mehta's objection concerning the AAP leaders' non-compliance with the committee's notice, specifically noting that despite statements made during previous hearings about not pressing for interim relief, the petitioners had still not adhered to the summons.
The Controversial 'Phansi Ghar' Inauguration
The controversy traces back to 2022 when Kejriwal, then serving as Chief Minister, inaugurated a structure within the Assembly building that was claimed to be a 'phansi ghar' (execution chamber) from the British Raj era. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn this August when Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta of the BJP informed the House that historical records indicated the structure was actually a 'tiffin room' rather than an execution chamber.
As the dispute intensified, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused the previous AAP government of deliberately misleading the public about the structure's historical significance. Independent historians have also weighed in, stating it was 'unlikely' that the building ever functioned as an execution chamber.
Legal Arguments and Committee Proceedings
In their petition before the High Court, Kejriwal and Sisodia have raised substantial legal objections. They contend that the Privileges Committee lacks jurisdiction and that proper procedural safeguards haven't been followed. The committee had scheduled a meeting for November 13 to deliberate on matters concerning the 'Faansi Ghar' inaugurated on August 9, 2022, within the Delhi Legislative Assembly premises.
Kejriwal had been specifically directed to appear personally before the panel. In his September 19 response, the AAP national convener argued that the committee's communication came after a delay of over three years from the incident date and following the dissolution of the Seventh Legislative Assembly of Delhi.
Citing Supreme Court judgments, Kejriwal maintained that the Eighth Legislative Assembly cannot initiate privilege actions for activities that occurred during the Seventh Assembly's tenure. The Seventh Assembly was dissolved in February 2025 after election proceedings concluded, ending AAP's governance in Delhi and bringing the BJP to power.
The court has now scheduled the next hearing in this contentious matter for December 12, setting the stage for another significant legal confrontation between Delhi's political heavyweights.
