Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be kept in Tihar's Jail No. 2, as per an ANI report. With little more than a fortnight left for commencement of Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, on April 1, was sent to judicial custody till April 15 in the Delhi excise policy case.
This makes him the fourth leader from AAP to be kept in the Tihar Jail. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, also an accused in the liquor policy case, remains imprisoned in Jail No. 1. Meanwhile, former Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been kept in Jail No. 7, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is in Jail No. 5.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has held CM Kejriwal in custody since his arrest on March 21 as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged scam, mentioned the possibility of requiring his custody again in the future.
The prison houses around 600 individuals and is less crowded than those which house undertrial prisoners.
Upon his arrival, a medical check-up was held and then Kejriwal was handed over the 'mulahija kit'comprising essential items.
Delhi CM's routine in Tihar
Like other prisoners, CM Kejriwal's day in Tihar jail will usually begin at 6:30 am. Prisoners are served tea and a few slices of bread for breakfast. Following this, the AAP national convenor will either leave for the Court, in case of a scheduled hearing, or hold discussions with his lawyers on the prison premises.
Lunch in Tihar is usually served between 10:30 am to 11 am, consisting of rice or around 5 chapatis, along with pulses and vegetables. Post lunch, prisoners are kept locked up from noon till 3 pm.
Around 3:30 pm, Kejriwal will be served tea and two biscuits, like other prisoners after which the Delhi CM can meet his legal team.
Dinner at Tihar is also served early, around 5:30 pm, post which all prisoners are locked up for the night by 7 pm.
Kejriwal will be guarded by four personnel round the clock in shifts.
Recreational facilities
Kejriwal will be permitted to view television, except during scheduled prison activities such as meals and lock-up periods. A selection of 18 to 20 channels covering news, entertainment, and sports are allowed to be telecast inside the premises.
In addition, given the Chief Minister's diabetic condition, he will undergo regular check-ups during his time in custody. In the event of an emergency, medical professionals and staff are on standby around the clock. Kejriwal's lawyer sought a special meal plan due to his health condition.
The Chief Minister is permitted to meet family members twice a week . Their names, however, must be approved by prison authorities beforehand. The Tihar administration opened a bank account for the CM. He can buy biscuits, toothpaste and toothbrush among other things from the jail canteen with this money, according to a report by Times of India.
His legal team has also made a request to grant Kejriwal access to three books - Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and How Prime Ministers Decide by journalist Neerja Chowdhury.
Not the first time
This isn't the first time that the CM will be staying in Tihar jail. He was first lodged in 2011 along with Anna hazare and others. He visited Tihar again in 2014 when he was arrested for a defamation case filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. However, both visits were cut short after the CM moved the courts.
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