SATYENDAR JAIN

Jain. Until his arrest earlier this year, former health and home minister Jain, was also in-charge of prisons.

While BJP leaders said they were on their way to file a police complaint against Jain, the AAP’s senior leader and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused the party of leaking the video and weaving a false narrative.

Sisodia said Jain was unwell, and was being treated in prison for his illness.

“The BJP, as part of a conspiracy, got our colleague arrested. A person is unwell and being treated. The BJP leaked the tape, is weaving a false narrative and is making fun of the man,” Sisodia said.

The Delhi deputy CM said that Jain had suffered a spinal injury in a fall inside prison and was recommended physiotherapy for the same. “Jain is in jail for 6 months. While in jail, he slipped and was injured in the spine. Due to this spine injury, he has undergone two surgeries and while discharging him, the doctors had recommended that physiotherapy should be provided. This is not a luxury body massage but pressure therapy being provided to an injured person,” Sisodia said. He contended that such treatment is provided in every jail in the country, and that no rules were violated.

Last month, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) sought a report from the Delhi chief secretary Naresh Kumar regarding allegations that Jain was availing “special treatment” inside Tihar prisons in connivance with the jail authorities.

MHA sought the report after ED informed a Delhi court that Jain was living a “luxurious lifestyle” with facilities such as face, head and foot massages, fruits and salads as well as meeting his family members and the witnesses of the case in which he has been arrested.

ED arrested Jain in May under prevention of money laundering act (PMLA). The agency has also alleged that Jain set up shell companies to launder money between 2011 and 2016. Jain has denied the allegations, and the AAP has described CBI and ED action as “political vendetta”.