New Delhi:
Has Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a type 2 diabetic patient, been denied insulin while behind bars in Tihar Jail? Did Mr. Kejriwal eat mangoes and sweets, and drink tea with sugar instead of a non-caloric sweetener meant for diabetics? And how often did he eat aloo-puri?
These are the questions at the heart of the latest row between the Aam Aadmi Party leader and the Enforcement Directorate, which had opposed his request for daily 15-minute video consultations with his doctor; the ED alleged that Mr Kejriwal had deliberately eaten food high in sugar to create grounds for medical bail. The court resumed the hearing today and then reserved the verdict for Monday.
Arvind Kejriwal's insulin request
During today's hearing, Mr. Kejriwal – who sought instructions from prison officials to ensure insulin supply – hit out at police for being 'petty' and 'politicising' his diet in prison instead of ensuring his health.
“Just because I'm a prisoner… I don't have the right to a dignified life and good health? Am I a gangster that I'm not even allowed a 15-minute video conference with my doctor?” he asked in court.
“ED alleged that I want to increase my blood sugar level to get bail. Do I run the risk of paralysis to get bail? Whatever food I have is as per the diet plan prepared by my doctor before my arrest,” says senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi. appearing for Mr Kejriwal, the court told at the start of the hearing.
In his statement, Mr Kejriwal said he had been prescribed 50 units of insulin since 2012 – 28 in the morning and 22 in the evening – and had “not received any life-saving medicine for the past 29 days”.
“It is shocking that ED (believes) that a person would deliberately cause such alarming rises in sugar levels and risk his life – for getting medical bail,” Mr Kejriwal argued in his submission, evoking the ED's rationale before the spike in his blood sugar level refuted. – that he deliberately ate sugary foods.
To this, the ED replied: “Legal mulakaats (meetings) have been abused before… there is a court order.”
“The real reason for the continued spike is the refusal of the jail authorities to provide insulin to the applicant, which is a life-saving medicine…” the Chief Minister argued.
Mr Kejriwal's statement provided a detailed rebuttal to the ED's claims, including providing the names of the insulin injections and highlighting his doctor's recommendations, as well as listing when he had been given mangoes (as part of the home-cooked meals allowed by the court). ).
“The allegation is that I consumed mangoes, but out of 48 meals from home, only three had mangoes. No mangoes were sent after April 8,” Mr Kejriwal's lawyer said, arguing that the ED had mangoes ” looked like sugar bullets.” . “(In reality) their sugar level is lower than that of brown or white rice.”
READ | After AAP's 'Plan To Kill' claim, Kejriwal's court favors insulin
On the ED's allegation that Mr Kejriwal regularly had white sugar in his tea, Mr Singhvi clarified that the Chief Minister used only sugar-free, a popular artificial sugar food product. Mr Singhvi criticized the investigation agency for being 'ridiculous' and also accused it of abusing its 'influence in the media'.
“Just because you have a lot of influence in the media, you can publish during Navratri that I am eating aloo-puri even though this meal was sent only once,” he told the court.
READ | AAP claims “plan to kill Kejriwal in jail” in “Eating Mangoes” line.
The ED opposed these observations and claimed that the food consumed by Mr Kejriwal was not as per the prescribed diet plan. It was also argued that the jail had adequate medical facilities to care for Kejriwal.
“Please see the diet he has been prescribed. It does not involve sweets, fruits or sweet products. It appears to be a highly regulated and restricted diet… Therefore, it has a direct relationship with his subjugation – that he has an alarming increase has in sugar level,” ED lawyer Zuhaib Hossain told the court.
The ED legal team also argued that the presence of mangoes in Mr Kejriwal's diet was against what was allowed by the chief minister's doctor. They also referred to a report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which stated that “foods to be avoided are mangoes, bananas, chikoo, etc…”
READ | Arvind Kejriwal in a cell measuring 14×8 feet. See what all courts have allowed
However, Mr Singhvi stressed that the fruit had been sent only three times. The last time was on April 8 and the first blood sugar measurement after that was three days later. “What is the relationship…” he asked.
“He was served mangoes three times and aloo-puri once…” he said, while replying “No” to a question from the court about variations in Mr Kejriwal's diet from what was allowed by the court.
As the hearing ended, Mr Kejriwal pointed out that his medical condition “is bad and will be late on Monday”, to which the court said: “Submit your answers by tomorrow. I reserve orders for Monday.”
Why was Arvind Kejriwal arrested?
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam in the national capital. The investigative agency believes that the chief minister played a key role in drafting the now scrapped policy and seeking bribes or kickbacks in exchange for liquor licenses.
The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have dismissed all charges, terming the arrest and the case a “political vendetta”, as was done weeks before the Lok Sabha elections.
READ | Kejriwal has to remain in jail for now, the Supreme Court refuses an early hearing
Mr Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court has denied an early hearing. He now has to wait till April 29 when the court will meet again to hear the ED's response.
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