Arvind Kejriwal's plea in Delhi court for insulin after AAP's 'plot to kill' claim, order on April 22

The Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday reserved the order on a plea moved by Delhi chief minster Arvind Kejriwal seeking direction to Tihar jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult his doctor through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes over his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar level.

The court will pronounce its orders on Monday, April 22. Arvind Kejriwal is under judicial custody in the money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor excise policy case.

The plea stated that the Delhi chief minister's wife Sunita Kejriwal should be allowed to join the consultation with Dr Ravichandra Rao, through video conference.

The plea further stated that from February 1 under careful medical supervision, Arvind Kejriwal was able to start the ‘Insulin Reversal Programme’ and the administration of insulin was discontinued. The strict medical supervision of a diabetes expert helped in effectively regulating glucose levels. The medicines, food and exercises would be titrated (continuously measured and adjusted) daily using a continuous glucose monitoring sensor in which blood sugars were monitored closely.

Due the such daily medical and dietary interventions and a tailor-made daily exercise intervention- the applicant was successfully removed from exogenous insulin and switched to oral medication while maintaining optimal glucose levels during the program, stated the plea.

Due to his arrest on March 21, the applicant was incapacitated and was unable to follow the said Insulin Reversal Programme, stated the plea.

Delhi L-G seeks report from jail authorities

The plea was moved even as Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena on Thursday asked the director general of prisons to submit a factual report into the AAP's allegations that Arvind Kejriwal was not being provided insulin in Tihar jail. The L-G's order followed Delhi cabinet minister Atishi's allegation that there was a plot to kill the chief minister, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case, by denying him home-cooked food and insulin in jail, a charge rejected by the prison authorities.

‘Plot to kill him Arvind Kejriwal’: Atishi

At a presser conference, Atishi claimed that the chief minister's requests for insulin have been denied by the Tihar jail administration, and attempts to arrange a video conference with his doctor are facing opposition from the ED and the prison officials.

“For the past several days, his blood sugar level has been consistently above 300 mg/dL,” Atishi claimed.

"Despite Arvind Kejriwal's repeated requests, he is not being given insulin, and his sugar level is increasing. He is not being given medication because there is a plot to kill him," she alleged.

Arvind Kejriwal Vs ED in Delhi court

Accusing the Enforcement Directorate of being “petty” and “politicising” what he ate in jail, Arvind Kejriwal asserted before the court that the food he consumed was in conformity with the diet chart prepared by his doctor.

The ED had on Thursday claimed before the court that Arvind Kejriwal was eating food high in sugar like mangoes and sweets every day, despite having type 2 diabetes, to create grounds for medical bail.

Arvind Kejriwal's counsel hit back at the probe agency over its claim that the Delhi chief minister was eating food laden with sugar so he could fall ill and seek bail on medical grounds.

"The ED claimed that I want to increase my blood sugar levels to get bail. Am I going to risk paralysis to get bail? Whatever food I have is as per the diet chart prepared by my doctor prior to arrest," senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi told the court on behalf Arvind Kejriwal.

Referring to the ED's claim about the politician eating mangoes, sweets, aalo-poori. etc. regularly, Abhishek Singhvi said these were provided to him only a few times.

"The allegation is that I have been consuming mangoes... Out of 48 meals sent from home, only three times mangoes were there. No mangoes have been sent after April 8. Mangoes have been made to look like sugar bullets. Their sugar level (glycemic index) is much less than brown rice or white rice," Abhishek Singhvi told the court.

Arvind Kejriwal has been allowed to have food cooked at home in jail.

"I only use sugar-free (an artificial sugar brand) in my tea. How petty, political and ridiculous ED can be? Their statements are completely false and malicious. Just because you have a lot of influence in the media you are able to publish that I am having aaloo puri even though this meal was sent only once during pooja," he told the court.

The CM, who had on Thursday withdrawn a petition for consulting his doctor thrice a week about his fluctuating sugar levels, moved a fresh plea on Friday seeking consultations with his physician for 15 minutes every day.

"Just because I am a prisoner do I have no right to a dignified life and good health? Am I a gangster that I cannot even be allowed to have 15 minutes VC (video conference) consultation with my doctor? We have had democracy for 75 years but I am seeing such an approach for the first time. Never seen such kind of pettiness," Singhvi said, reproachfully.

The ED opposed Singhvi's submissions, claiming the food Kejriwal was eating did not match the diet chart prescribed by his doctor. It said Tihar jail had sufficient medical facilities to take care of Kejriwal's diabetes.

The ED's contentions were opposed by senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, who also appeared for Kejriwal.

The court reserved its order on Kejriwal's application seeking daily consultation with his doctor for Monday and directed Tihar jail authorities to file a reply, if required, by Saturday.

(With inputs ANI, PTI)