Tihar officials, AAP lock horns over Kejriwal's 'worsening' health

Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's 'worsening' health condition is once again the major bone of contention between the Aam Aadmi Party and Tihar jail officials.

While senior AAP functionaries have claimed that AAP supremo is rapidly losing weight and his health is declining in prison, jail officials have alleged such a narrative aims to browbeat the prison administration.

Party leader and Delhi minister Atishi on Sunday alleged that the health condition of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was “deteriorating in jail” with weight loss and episodes of very low blood sugar levels, at a press conference at the party headquarters.

She alleged that Kejriwal was being kept in Tihar jail under “a conspiracy hatched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”, which should be held responsible if anything happened to the AAP chief.

Responding to the charges, the jail authorities have reportedly  said Arvind Kejriwal's weight was 65 kg on April 1, the day he entered Tihar's Central Jail No. 2. When he was granted bail on May 10 after a Supreme Court relief, he weighed 64 kg. When he surrendered again - June 2 - the weight was recorded as 63.5. Currently, Mr Kejriwal weighs 61.5.

"Further, the accused is under supervision of the Senior Medical Officer, CJ-02 round the clock. The health of the UTP (undertrial prisoner) is under continuous monitoring and his vitals are being checked daily. The UTP is being reviewed by Jail visiting Medical Specialist Doctor of Tihar jail for complaints posed by him and is administered medicines, if required," NDTV reported stating the jail report.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in a corruption case linked to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. He was out on bail briefly to campaign for the Lok Sabha election and then returned to Tihar jail.

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam, saying the AAP supremo "suffered incarceration of 90 days". However, Kejriwal will remain in Tihar Jail as a Delhi court extended his judicial custody in the CBI's corruption case till July 25.