Tihar Jail says Arvind Kejriwal fine amid insulin row
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently being held in Tihar Jail, was told he had no serious health concerns by doctors from AIIMS Delhi. A source from Tihar Jail told India Today that a 40-minute video consultation with doctors was conducted on Saturday. During the session, Kejriwal was advised to continue with his prescribed medication regimen. The video consultation was arranged by the jail administration following a request from Sunita Kejriwal, the Delhi CM's wife.
Why does this story matter?
According to the AAP, Kejriwal's health has been deteriorating since his arrest last month in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. On April 3, the party said that Kejriwal had lost around 4.5kg. He has also been experiencing fluctuations in his blood sugar levels, it added. But over the past few days, the AAP has been alleging that Kejriwal is being subjected to a "slow death" in Tihar prison.
Kejriwal's health records and medication reviewed
Kejriwal's complete record of the Glucose Monitoring Sensor, along with details of his diet and medicines, were also thoroughly examined during the consultation on Saturday. However, neither Kejriwal nor the doctors mentioned insulin during the session, according to India Today. This comes amid claims by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that Kejriwal is being denied insulin in jail and is being subjected to a "slow death."
AAP alleges negligence in Kejriwal's diabetes management
Prior to this disclosure, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj held a press conference in which he criticized the prison authorities for claiming the prison had adequate medical facilities. To refute the prison authorities' claims, he also shared a letter written by the Director General of Prisons requesting a senior AIIMS doctor for Kejriwal. In the letter to AIIMS, Sanjay Baniwal, Director General of Prisons, requested the hospital to arrange a senior diabetologist for Kejriwal.
ED claims Kejriwal intentionally elevating blood sugar
Earlier this week, the ED claimed that Kejriwal had been intentionally consuming foods such as mangoes and aloo-poori to elevate his blood sugar levels. The ED alleges this was done to provide grounds for medical bail. However, Kejriwal's lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, refuted these claims on Friday, stating that only three out of 48 meals sent from home contained mangoes and that Kejriwal uses sugar-free sweeteners in his tea. He questioned if Kejriwal would risk paralysis to get bail.
