Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed before a Delhi court he had mangoes only three times and Aloo Puri only once as Navratri Prasad.
His counsel senior advocate A M Singhvi contended before Sepcial Judge Kaveri Baweja the Enforcement Directorate's charge that he was eating such foods to spike sugar levels was petty and politically ridiculous.
The court, however, observed there was certainly deviations between diet chart approved and home foods provided to the applicant.
It reserved order in the matter for Monday. The court allowed Tihar jail authorities to file their reply on Saturday.
Kejriwal, lodged in Tihar jail here in judicial custody in the liquor policy scam case, filed an application for daily video conferencing with doctor for 15 minutes, along with his wife, in view of Type II diabetes.
In his submission, Singhvi said mangoes here have been made to look like sugar bullets by the Enforcement Directorate and that Kejriwal was sent “aaloo poori” only once as Navratri prasad in jail.
"They want to do a media trial. Their submission was only for media news," he said.
Singhvi said, "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 the arrest."
"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 15-minute VC 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," he said.
Another counsel for Kejriwal, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta contended, "What has ED got to do with this hearing? He (ED) is not a party. It is between me and jail and court? They are having a media trial and the press is publishing anything it wants."
Special counsel for ED Zoheb Hossain submitted that the very fact that allegations of mala fide have been made by Kejriwal in his application, made the central probe agency a party to the same.
He said the diet prescribed to Kejriwal has no reference to any sweet or fruits or sweet items. The Chief Minister was prescribed a “very regulated and restricted diet” which had no mention of any sweet foods, he submitted.
The ED claimed Kejriwal was eating such foods to spike his sugar level to create grounds for bail. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in the case lodged in 2022. The ED claimed he is the kingpin and main conspirator in the liquor policy scam case.