New Delhi:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail and said the AAP chief asked him to actively campaign for INDIA bloc candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Mann told reporters that Mr Kejriwal’s health is fine, he is getting insulin and undergoing regular check-ups.

The Delhi chief minister asked people not to worry about him and exercise their franchise during the elections, he said.

This was Mr Mann’s second meeting in jail with Mr Kejriwal in a fortnight.

Bhagwant Mann told reporters that he met Mr Kejriwal the same way he met him the first time.

“We were separated by an iron mesh. This could be the height of their hatred. Arvind Kejriwal has asked me to tell people not to worry about him and vote. Please vote to save democracy,” Mr Mann said.

The Punjab chief minister said he told Mr Kejriwal that he recently visited Gujarat to campaign for the party’s candidates in Bharuch and Bhavnagar.

“There was a mind-blowing response. The entire country is saying that whatever happened with Mr Kejriwal was wrong. I also went to Assam. He asked me to come to Delhi and also campaign for INDIA bloc candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and wherever I am called,” Mr Mann said.

“These elections are not about winning or losing. It is about saving the Constitution and democracy,” he added.

The Punjab chief minister said Mr Kejriwal also enquired about the wellbeing of his daughter.

“We talked about our families. He asked about my daughter Niyamat, who is one month old now. He asked how the farm produce has been in Punjab and if any facilities are being affected due to the Model Code of Conduct,” according to Mr Mann.

“I told him that people are getting all the facilities. I informed him that 158 children from Punjab government schools have cleared the JEE (Mains). This is the first time it has happened. He was quite happy. This was the education revolution of our dreams. He congratulated the teachers, parents and the children,” he added.

On Monday, Mr Kejriwal’s wife Sunita and Delhi Minister Atishi met him.

Arvind Kejriwal has been lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case since April 1.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal will not be able to meet him in Tihar jail on Monday. The jail authorities have refused permission for the scheduled visit, Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has claimed.

Sources said that the Tihar Jail administration has cited the visit of Delhi Minister Atishi, who will meet the Chief Minister on Monday.
On Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is coming to meet him.

Sources said jail rules say two people can come to meet a jailed person at a time.

When Mr Mann went to meet Mr Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on April 15, AAP’s Organisation General Secretary Sandeep Pathak accompanied him.

Sources in Tihar Jail said after the meeting with Atishi and Bhagwant Mann, Sunita Kejriwal could be allowed to meet Mr Kejriwal After  Tuesday. 

Jail rules, however, say only two visits can be allowed in a week. So if Atishi meets Arvind Kejriwal on Monday and Bhagwant Mann meets him on Tuesday, then no other meeting with Arvind Kejriwal can be held in this week.

It is possible that Sunita Kejriwal will only be allowed to meet him next week. 

Mr Kejriwal has been in jail since April 1. He was arrested on March 21 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

His stay in Tihar has been marked by a massive row over his diabetes and medication, with the Chief Minister and his party alleging that the authorities had withheld medication since his arrest. The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Mr Kejriwal has been eating food that is inappropriate for diabetics.

On Saturday, Sunita Kejriwal led her maiden roadshow in Delhi, campaigning for the Lok Sabha election. The massive roadshow was held in support of the AAP’s East Delhi candidate. The party is contesting four of Delhi’s seven constituencies. The Congress will contest the other three.

In Mr Kejriwal’s absence, she is expected to spearhead the party’s campaign in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on Monday night administered insulin at Tihar jail after his blood sugar level soared, reaching 320. The AAP chief yesterday accused the Tihar jail administration of not providing him with insulin despite repeated requests. 

Mr Kejriwal’s accusations were met with a rebuttal from the Tihar jail administration, which claimed that during a video consultation with specialists from AIIMS, neither the issue of insulin nor its necessity was raised. 

“Today it is clear that the Chief Minister was right, he needed insulin. But the officials under the BJP’s central government were deliberately not treating him. Tell me BJP people! If insulin is not needed then why are you giving it now? Because the whole world is cursing them,” Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a statement. 

A city court had directed AIIMS to form a medical board to assess Mr Kejriwal’s medical needs, particularly regarding insulin. The court highlighted discrepancies between the Delhi Chief Minister’s dietary regimen which consisted of home-cooked food and doctor-prescribed diet.

In a letter to the Tihar jail superintendent on Monday, Mr Kejriwal rejected the jail administration’s claim that the issue of insulin was never raised by him in his consultations with the doctors. Mr Kejriwal insists that he had raised the issue of insulin demand persistently over the course of 10 days.

The AAP has alleged that the Tihar administration withheld insulin from Mr Kejriwal, alleging a conspiracy to harm him.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has claimed that AAP leaders aimed to generate public sympathy for Mr Kejriwal’s health during the Lok Sabha elections.

“No doubt Arvind Kejriwal is a diabetic but his sugar is under control in jail as he didn’t raise demand for insulin in the video consultation with the doctors of AIIMS,” Mr Sachdeva said. 

The Enforcement Directorate accused Mr Kejriwal of consuming sugary foods regularly, insinuating an attempt to exploit his health for legal advantage. Mr Kejriwal swiftly dismissed these accusations as petty and accused the agency of politicising the issue.

“I showed my high sugar levels to every doctor who came to see me. I showed them that there were three peaks in the sugar level every day — between 250-320,” Mr Kejriwal said in his letter.

“I also showed them that my fasting sugar level was in the range of 160-200 every day. Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin?”

The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested on March 21 by the ED in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy and has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1. The Delhi High Court will hear Mr Kejriwal’s petition challenging the summonses issued to him by the probe agency on May 15. 
 

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – a diabetes patient who has gone to court claiming Tihar Jail officials have withheld his supply of insulin for 31 days – has hit out at prison authorities, accusing them of making “false statements” and “lying under political pressure (from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party)”.

Sources said the Aam Aadmi Party leader – in jail since the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on March 21 in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case – wrote a note to Tihar Jail’s Superintendent after the prison arranged a video conference with doctors from the central government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences. After the meeting jail officials claimed the supply of insulin had not been raised.

Jail officials also claimed the doctors “assured (Mr Kejriwal) there is no serious concern” and advised him to “continue with the prescribed medicines, which will be evaluated regularly”.

Mr Kejriwal, though, has a different take on the matter.

“I read the statement of Tihar administration in the newspaper… I felt sad after reading the statements. Both statements of Tihar Jail are false. I am asking for insulin daily… I showed the glucometer readings (three times a day) and told them sugar levels are high…”

According to Mr Kejriwal the sugar level readings are between 250 and 320 mg/dl. “Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin?”

According to the World Health Organization, “expected values for normal fasting blood glucose concentration are between 70 and 100 mg/dL (or milligrams per decilitre)”. 

READ | Arvind Kejriwal In 14×8 Feet Cell. See What All Court Has Allowed

“AIIMS doctors never said there is nothing to worry about… they said they will respond after looking at the (medical) data and (patient) history,” the Chief Minister reportedly said.

“The Tihar administration is lying under political pressure…” he is understood to have told the jail chief, ramping up tension between himself and the centre – which he has accused of “political vendetta” – ahead of the Lok Sabha election in the national capital on May 25. 

The Aam Aadmi Party leader – in jail since the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on March 21 in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case – moved a court last week seeking directions for supply of the life-saving drug. Mr Kejriwal criticised the jail and probe agency for being “petty” and “politicising” his well-being.

READ | “Had Mangoes Only Thrice, Sweets 6 Times In Jail”: Arvind Kejriwal

The court – to which the ED claimed the Chief Minister deliberately ate foods high in sugar – like mangoes and toffees – to place his health at risk and prove grounds for medical bail – quizzed Mr Kejriwal about variations in his prescribed diet and reserved its verdict for today.

Why Was Arvind Kejriwal Arrested?

The probe agency believes the Chief Minister played a key role in drafting the now-scrapped policy and seeking bribes, or kickbacks, in return for liquor licences.

These kickbacks, the ED has claimed, amounted to around Rs 600 crore and some of this, the ED has said, was used to fund the party’s Punjab and Goa election campaigns, which won the AAP its first state government outside Delhi and confirmed its status as a national political party.

The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have refused all charges and called the arrest. The Chief Minister’s colleague, Atishi, has accused the centre of a “conspiracy to kill” Mr Kejriwal since it seems unable to defeat him in an election; the reference was to the past two Assembly polls.

READ | Kejriwal To Stay In Jail For Now, Supreme Court Refuses Early Hearing

Mr Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court. However, the top court has refused an early hearing. He must now wait till April 29, when the court reconvenes to hear the ED’s reply.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday said he stayed “resolute and brave” during his six-month stay in Tihar jail and even asked his family members not to “shed a tear” during their virtual interactions.

The Rajya Sabha member was granted bail in the Delhi liquor policy-linked money laundering case by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. He walked out of Tihar jail on Wednesday after being lodged there for nearly six months.

In an interview to PTI, he recalled his days inside Tihar, which currently houses Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.

“The initial 11 days were quite difficult. I was inside a small cell and was not allowed to step outside. I was under police security. Subsequently, I spoke to the jail administration and demanded that I be given rights as a normal prisoner,” he told PTI.

Thereafter, he said, he was allowed to move out at fixed timings under police security.

“They decided to allow me to go to the music room and badminton court at fixed times. Even the issues related to food were addressed,” he said.

The senior party leader said that he used jail time to read books since he did not have a mobile phone.

“I read in those six months — the writings of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr (Ram Manohar) Lohia, Bhagat Singh. Maine 6 mahine mein utna padha jitna main 6 saal mein nahi padh paaya (in these six months I read more than what I had read in six years),” he said.

After spending six months in Tihar, he said his “morale is quite strong” and it will strengthen his fight ahead.

“Either you sit at home or fight. We will fight,” he said.

While Mr Singh was in jail, his wife Anita was taking care of everything. Talking about how his family dealt with his absence, he said he spent the time bravely and even asked his family to stay strong.

“It is a tough situation for any family if they battle such circumstances. But the question is how can we stand strongly? I was so cautious. I knew that the video conferencing that takes place between inmates and their families is recorded,” he said.

He said he would try to regale his family with interesting anecdotes from the jail or some funny incident.

“I would tell them stories that make them laugh. The first day they asked me how are you, how is your health. I told them to always ask me ‘jail waale kaise hain‘. Nobody was allowed to cry. I told them this is being recorded. The people sitting at the top would be happy seeing them in tears or seeing Sanjay Singh dejected,” he said.

“I was resolute and brave throughout my jail days,” he said.

For a major part of his stay, he was housed in cell number 28 in jail number two but was later transferred to jail number five.

“This is weird. I was transferred from jail number two to jail number five. Manish Sisodia is in a separate jail and Satyendar Jain is in a separate jail. I don’t know why they consider us such big accused that we were all kept in separate jails. I was under CCTV surveillance 24×7,” he said.

Mr Singh was admitted to ILBS Hospital when he got to know about the Supreme Court granting his bail.

“I have been undergoing treatment at ILBS Hospital for the last three-to-four years. A report had come after which the doctor suggested liver biopsy. At that time, I was admitted to ILBS for that,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in the same case as Mr Singh. Elaborating on the arrest of Mr Kejriwal and its impact, he said it has given strength to party workers in terms of working and reaching out to people.

“Today Kejriwal is not here but workers are trying to fill that gap. The people of Delhi will give a befitting reply (in elections),” he said.

In this scenario, Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal has come in the limelight.

She has addressed three digital briefings so far, in which she read out his messages from the ED custody and Tihar jail. In a political debut of sorts, she read out his message at the INDIA bloc ‘maharally’ on March 31.

“She has a key role since she is the only one who is able to meet him and through her, the directions reach party workers. It is a very emotional situation for her. I saw tears in her eyes for the first time after I met her (following his release from Tihar). The way our families, our workers, the people of Delhi have been tormented, the people will give a reply,” he asserted.

Mr Singh alleged a “conspiracy” behind the arrest of Mr Kejriwal and said that he, along with Mr Jain, Mr Sisodia, will be out soon.

“This is not a good thing. If you are starting this practice of dictatorship, it’s not a good thing. We will have to work harder.

“If Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was certain about victory, he would not have done these. Freezing bank accounts of the Congress, arresting chief minister, there is a fear in them. BJP is losing elections. They are doing this out of fear. No politician will do such things unless there is a fear of loss.

“This is backfiring on them. People are developing sympathy… with Kejriwal,” he added.

As for the Lok Sabha election campaign, Mr Singh said he will work for the party in whatever role he will be assigned, and will campaign for candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well as the INDIA bloc.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is unwell and has lost 4.5 kg since he was arrested on March 21, sources in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have said. Authorities in Tihar jail, however, have said he is fine, and jail doctors have not flagged his health condition.

Mr Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case linked to Delhi’s now-scrapped judicial custody, is in Tihar jail after a court here remanded him in judicial custody till April 15.

He has been lodged in a 14X8 feet cell in jail number 2 of Tihar jail. A diabetic, his blood sugar level has been fluctuating over the past few days and had dropped below 50 at one point, according to reports. He has been given medicines to bring his blood sugar level under control. According to jail officials, he has also been provided a sugar sensor to monitor his blood sugar levels and toffees to arrest any sudden drop.

The Chief Minister is being served home-cooked food for lunch and dinner and his condition is being monitored. Jail officials have said they have also posted a quick response team near his cell for any emergency.

The AAP leader spoke to his wife Sunita through video conference yesterday and met his lawyer in person.

A Delhi court remanded him in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate flagged concerns that his release could hamper the probe into the money laundering case. The central agency has said Mr Kejriwal is not cooperating in the investigation.

The Delhi Chief Minister’s petition for interim relief will be heard today.

New Delhi:

Former Delhi health minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain returned to Tihar Jail on Monday, hours after the Supreme Court dismissed his regular bail plea in a money laundering case, officials said.

“Jain arrived at Tihar jail in the evening. He was taken to jail number 7 after the formalities of lodging him in the prison were completed,” a jail official said.

The 69-year-old was medically examined before being sent to a separate cell in the prison, officials said.

Donning a green colour T-shirt and a back pain belt, Jain left his Saraswati Vihar residence in northwest Delhi around 5.45 pm to surrender at the jail.

Before leaving his house, he hugged his wife and other family members. He was accompanied by his wife and a relative in a car. Jain has two daughters. The other relatives came in another car.

The top court rejected an oral request by Jain’s counsel to allow him to surrender in a week’s time. The SC had on January 17 reserved its verdict on his regular bail plea.

Jain was out on interim bail granted to him by the top court on May 26, 2023 on medical grounds, after he fell in Tihar Jail’s bathroom. The bail got extended from time to time. In June last year, he also underwent a spinal operation.

Jain had moved the apex court challenging the April 6, 2023 order of the Delhi High Court dismissing his regular bail application in the case.

The ED had arrested the AAP leader on May 30, 2022 on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

It had arrested Jain on the basis of a CBI FIR registered against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Observing that a prisoner’s basic constitutional rights persist even behind bars, the Delhi High Court has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee of lawyers to “meticulously” inspect the living conditions in Tihar jail, including the status of drinking water, sanitation, overall hygiene and maintenance of washrooms in the prison complex.

While taking note of alleged lack of basic amenities in the largest prison complex in South Asia, the court remarked the right to life remains inviolable, irrespective of an individual’s incarcerated status.

“Recognising the pressing nature of this issue, we deem it necessary to authorise an independent committee for a meticulous inspection of Tihar jail. To this end, we establish a fact-finding committee consisting of Dr. Amit George, Santosh Kumar Tripathi, Nandita Rao, and Tushar Sannu.

“Their mandate is to impartially evaluate the present conditions and update us on the status of drinking water, sanitation, overall hygiene, and the maintenance of washrooms/toilets within the complex,” a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula said in an order passed on August 23.

The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee (DHCLSC), highlighting the pressing issue of supply of clean drinking water and maintaining hygienic sanitary conditions within the Tihar jail complex.

The petitioner drew the court’s attention to a report stemming from an inspection conducted by a panel counsel which underscored a “worrying deficiency” in providing inmates with drinking water in jail.

The plea also described the sanitary conditions there as less than satisfactory and added that many washrooms and toilets are in disrepair and even the basic privacy of inmates is compromised due to broken doors, hampering their ability to maintain personal hygiene in private.

The court noted a Delhi government representative had informed it in April that initiatives to improve basic amenities in the jail complex were underway.

However, the petitioner’s lawyer Amit George submitted a starkly different picture and argued that they have been inundated with complaints from inmates, who claim an alarming scarcity of basic necessities like clean drinking water and proper sanitation.

He contended there has been no discernible improvement in the living conditions within the jail.

“The report and accompanying photographs clearly reveal that inmates are bereft of essential amenities, including safe drinking water and functional toilets. Rule No. 425 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, mandates that every inmate should have uninterrupted access to fresh drinking water at all times. These rules emphasize the importance of not only providing inmates with clean water but also ensuring a well-maintained sanitation system and washroom facilities,” the bench said.

It referred to a judgment of the Supreme Court which said the right to life stands paramount among human rights.

“As enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, this right (to life) remains inviolable, irrespective of an individual’s incarcerated status. A prisoner’s basic constitutional rights persist, even behind bars. Therefore, any measures restricting an individual’s freedom must not infringe upon their inherent dignity and rights,” the high court said.

The high court also asked the Director General (Prisons) of Tihar jail to facilitate the committee’s work by providing all requisite resources and support to enable a thorough examination of the jail premises.

It said a detailed status report from both the committee and the Delhi government shall be filed before October 18, the next date of hearing.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)