ED claims Kejriwal on high-sugar diet for bail; Atishi alleges plot to kill

Atishi says ED lied about Kejriwal’s diet and he is being denied insulin

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is consuming high-sugar foods like mangoes and sweets every day despite having type 2 diabetes to create grounds for medical bail.

Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi, meanwhile, claimed there was a plot to kill Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the ED in the excise policy case, by denying him homecooked food and insulin in jail, a charge rejected by the prison authorities.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, overseeing CBI and ED cases, ordered Tihar jail officials to submit a report on Kejriwal’s dietary habits, including a detailed diet chart. The report is expected by Friday, coinciding with the court’s next session on the matter.

Earlier in the court, the ED claimed that Kejriwal was consuming such foods to seek bail on medical grounds, or shift to a hospital.

“Kejriwal is consciously consuming items like tea with sugar, mango, banana, sweets (1 or 2 pieces), poori, aaloo sabji, etc. on regular basis, despite being a patient of diabetes mellitus type 2 and knowing very well that consumption of such items results in increase in blood sugar. This is being done to create a medical emergency to obtain sympathetic treatment from the court of law on medical grounds,” the ED told the court.

In a related development, Kejriwal retracted his request for virtual medical consultations, citing fluctuating blood sugar levels.

Additionally, the court remanded Chanpreet Singh, linked to the Aam Aadmi Party’s financial dealings in the

Goa elections, to judicial custody until April 23. The ED claims that a significant portion of the ₹100 crore received by AAP as alleged kickbacks was funnelled into the Goa campaigns.

Manish Sisodia, AAP leader and co-accused in the excise scam, had his judicial custody extended to April 26. Sanjay Singh, another party member recently bailed by the Supreme Court, appeared via video conference.

The CBI and ED have charged that policy irregularities, favouritism, and financial mismanagement occurred under the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-21. Accused officials are said to have laundered “illegal” profits and falsified records to avoid scrutiny.

Sisodia, once Delhi’s deputy chief minister, was apprehended by the CBI on February 26, 2023, followed by an ED arrest on March 9, 2023. He resigned from his cabinet position on February 28, 2023.