Kejriwal moves fresh plea in Delhi court seeks direction to jail authorities to administer insulin

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday moved a fresh application seeking direction to jail authorities to administer insulin and allow him to consult with doctors through video conferencing daily for 15 minutes for his acute diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar levels .

The plea also stated that the Delhi Chief Minister's wife Sunita Kejriwal should also be allowed to join the consultation with Dr Ravichandra Rao, through video conference.

The plea further stated that from February 1 this year under careful medical supervision , Kejriwal was able to start the 'Insulin Reversal Programme' and the administration of insulin was discontinued. The strict medical supervision of a diabetes expert helped in effectively regulating glucose levels. The medicines, food and exercises would be titrated [continuously measured and adjusted] daily using a continuous glucose monitoring sensor in which blood sugars were monitored closely.

Due the such daily medical and dietary interventions and a tailor-made daily exercise

intervention- the applicant was successfully removed from exogenous insulin and switched to oral medication while maintaining optimal glucose levels during the program, stated the plea.

Due to his arrest on March 21, the applicant was incapacitated and was unable to follow the said Insulin Reversal Programme, stated the plea.

It is shocking and also alarming that from the date of his arrest i.e. March 21, the applicant has not been administered insulin to control his sugar levels. He has neither been able to follow the Insulin Reversal Programme nor being administered insulin to control his blood sugar levels, stated the plea.

While being in judicial custody, the applicant was seen by a doctor who is not even a diabetologist, and therefore, despite repeated requests by the applicant a basic administration of insulin was also not provided, the plea alleged.

Kejriwal's plea stated that representatives from Tihar Jail, via the Enforcement Directorate's counsel, presented a chart detailing the food provided for the applicant. However, this account failed to reflect the numerous occasions when the applicant did not consume the food offered. Notably, there was no documentation or evidence submitted to accurately indicate what the applicant consumed.

It is shocking that ED apprehends that a person would deliberately cause such an alarming hike in sugar level and risk his life - to get medical bail. This only demonstrates a serious lack of probity, fairness, and the vendetta and arbitrariness with which ED is conducting itself unabashedly against the applicant. This also reveals a blatantly vindictive stance, thereby compromising the integrity of the enforcement agency and manifestly displaying a prejudicial disposition against the applicant, stated Kejriwal's plea.

On Thursday, ED alleged that Kejriwal is consciously consuming items like tea with sugar, banana, sweets (1/2 pieces), 'Poori, Aaloo Sabji', etc., on a regular basis, despite being a patient of diabetes mellitus type II 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 diet chart may be compared with home-cooked food (lunch and dinner) and the breakfast provided by the jail authorities since April 2, to show to the court whether the same has been followed or not. If not, the conduct of Kejriwal needs to be informed to the court, said ED counsel.

Medical doctors posted in the jail round-the-clock and have been measuring the blood sugar levels of Kejriwal twice a day, stated ED counsel after going through the report given by Tihar Jail.