Arvind Kejriwal Claims Tihar Officials’ “Negligence” Took Toll On His Health

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in his petition to the Supreme Court seeking an extension of his interim bail by seven days, has alleged that he suffered medical complications due to the callousness and negligence of Tihar Jail authorities. 

Mr Kejriwal, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scam, has been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court until June 1, allowing him to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, he is required to surrender and return to jail on June 2, just after the final phase of polling.

The Delhi Chief Minister’s legal team claimed that he suffers from an aggressive form of ‘diabetes mellitus’, which is characterised by volatile blood glucose levels, leading to episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. 

“The appellant (Arvind Kejriwal) suffers from an aggressive form of diabetes mellitus, which is very volatile and undergoes a wide range of wild swings in blood glucose, including episodes of high sugar, that is, hyperglycaemia and low sugar, that is, hypoglycaemia,” the petition reads. 

“The appellant suffered a lot of health-related complications which is also partly attributable to the negligent and callous behaviour of the jail authorities,” it added.

During his time in custody, Mr Kejriwal allegedly lost 6-7 kg, a weight loss he has been unable to recover despite resuming his previous lifestyle post-release, his lawyers have claimed. Additionally, he has allegedly experienced periodic episodes of giddiness, palpitations, and overwhelming lethargy.

Mr Kejriwal’s lawyers said in the petitions that recent medical evaluations detected unusually high blood glucose and ketone levels, suggesting potential kidney damage and other complications. According to the lawyers, a doctor from a private hospital, who conducted an examination of Mr Kejriwal at his residence on May 25, has recommended a series of comprehensive medical tests to diagnose these issues accurately.

The prescribed tests include a whole-body PET-CT scan and a Holter Monitor Test to detect irregularities in heart function. These tests are to be conducted over a span of five to seven days. Mr Kejriwal’s plea stresses the necessity of early detection and intervention to prevent the progression of potentially fatal diseases.

The Supreme Court’s vacation bench, comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan, today acknowledged the urgency but said that the decision should be referred to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.

The bench questioned why Mr Kejriwal’s application was not mentioned earlier before a vacation bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta, who was part of the bench that had reserved the verdict on Kejriwal’s petition on May 17. Mr Kejriwal’s legal team, spearheaded by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi responded that he had no objection if the application was considered for a virtual hearing before Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. 

Mr Kejriwal’s legal troubles stem from allegations of corruption and money laundering associated with the Delhi government’s now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22. Despite several summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), culminating in his arrest on March 21, Mr Kejriwal maintains that his detention was illegal.

The ED has issued multiple summons since October 2023, with the investigation focusing on the alleged financial irregularities and illicit benefits from the liquor policy. Mr Kejriwal’s arrest followed the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant him protection from arrest.