Mangoes only in 3 meals out of 48 sent from home to jail: Arvind Kejriwal to Delhi Court

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested last month in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case, has refuted the claim of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before a Delhi court that he has been eating mangoes to spike his blood sugar and secure bail on medical grounds. .Out of forty-eight home-cooked meals sent to jail, mangoes were only sent three times, Kejriwal's counsel submitted today before Judge Kaveri Baweja.."The allegation is that I have been consuming mangoes... Out of 48 meals sent from home, only 3 times mangoes were there. They want to do a media trial. Their submission was only for media news. No mangoes have been sent after April 8. The mangoes have been made to look like sugar bullets. Their sugar level is much less than brown rice or white rice," Senior Advocate AM Singhvi submitted, on behalf of Kejriwal..The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's counsel added that the ED was acting in a petty manner by making such ridiculous arguments before the trial court. "I only use sugar-free 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 aloo puri even though this meal was sent once during pooja...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 submitted. .ED alleges Arvind Kejriwal deliberately eating mangoes, sweets in jail to raise his blood sugar level to get bail.Advocate Zoheb Hossein, appearing for the ED, had made the allegation in focus on Thursday while responding to a plea by Kejriwal for regular medical check-ups to monitor his sugar level.Hossein stood by the ED's concerns in today's hearing as well."My submission yesterday was that the content of his diet does not match the prescribed diet of the doctor. The diet chart has no reference to sweets or sweet fruits. The diet appears to be very regulated and strict. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between his submission that he is having an alarming rise in his sugar level and his diet," Hossein contended..Meanwhile, Kejriwal today withdrew his earlier application and filed a fresh plea seeking permission for fifteen-minute visits by a doctor daily to monitor his diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar levels.He has also prayed that his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, be allowed to remain present during these medical check-ups."It is a well-known fact that he (Kejriwal) suffers from Diabetes. For 12 years, he has got insulin every day. He was being given insulin every day. From February, well before my arrest, an insulin reversal programme started. It has to be monitored very, very minutely. It is common ground that I am unable to follow the programme in jail. I have said repeatedly that only my doctor can monitor it minutely. My only prayer is that I be allowed to consult my doctor," Singhvi told the Court today..Notably, after yesterday's hearing, the Delhi Court had sought a diet chart depicting the food being consumed by Kejriwal at Tihar Jail, where he is presently lodged..In today's hearing, advocate Yoginder Handoo appeared for the Tihar jail authorities and supported the ED's stance. "There was no stipulation in his (Kejriwal's) diet that he should have fruit or anything. In fact, he is not following the diet. We have also got an opinion from AIIMS. According to this, he should avoid mangoes. He should follow this diet. There is no need for insulin. In fact, if he takes insulin, sugar level will go down drastically," Handoo submitted..The hearing in the matter is presently in progress..Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on allegations that he was the "key conspirator" in the money laundering case registered in the matter.The arrest took place hours after his plea for interim protection from arrest was rejected by the Delhi High Court.On March 22, Kejriwal was produced by the ED before judge Baweja, who initially remanded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to ED custody till March 28.Kejriwal was eventually sent to judicial custody, after the ED's custody period (including extensions) ended.Earlier, the court had denied Kejriwal's plea to have five meetings with his legal team in Tihar Jail instead of two meetings which he is allowed.When he was sent to judicial custody on April 1, the Court had allowed him to carry books and have home-cooked meals along with certain other facilities.