Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal lost 2 kg since surrender post interim bail, not 8.5 kg: Tihar jail authorities refute AAP claims

New Delhi, July 15

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The raging controversy over alleged weight loss of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a fresh turn on Monday, with Tihar jail authorities refuting ruling Aam Aadmi Party claims that the Chief Minister had lost 8 kg since his incarceration in the liquor “scam” case.

Citing medical reports and regular medical examination findings of Kejriwal, who is being monitored by an AIIMS-Delhi board, Tihar jail officials said Kejriwal has not lost 8.5 kg weight in jail, as was being claimed by AAP Ministers and MPs.

“On April 1, when Kejriwal first came to Tihar, he weighed 65 kg. On April 8 and 29, he weighed 66 kg. He left from jail on May 9 for Lok Sabha election campaign after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court and came back to jail on June 2. On that day his weight was 63.5 kg,” Tihar authorities said.

They said on July 14 Kejriwal weighed 61.5 kg.

“He effectively lost 2 kg. Even this weight loss was done deliberately by him, for obvious reasons. He has been returning the food sent from his home routinely since June 3, which is from the very next day he surrendered after the term of his interim bail ended on June 2,” Tihar officials said.

They have sent a detailed medical report of Kejriwal along with the measurement of his weight and vitals to the Home Department of Delhi government which is under CM Kejriwal himself.

“It may be noted that in his earlier stint in jail, Arvind Kejriwal was deliberately consuming more food including mangoes to spike his sugar levels,” jail sources said.

They said a medical board of the AIIMS has been constantly monitoring Kejriwal and CM’s wife Sunita Kejriwal remains in regular consultation with the medical board.

Tihar Jail sources said AAP ministers and leaders were “browbeating prison administration for ulterior motives.”

”This is all a false narrative to confuse and mislead people,” Tihar authorities said, adding that they had written to the Home Department of the Delhi Government in the matter.

Kejriwal is being provided home-cooked food under directions of Kaveri Baweja, Special Judge, Rouse Avenue Court. After Kejriwal’s incarceration and concerns around his health, the Special Judge had on April 22 ordered the constitution of a medical board of AIIMS-New Delhi comprising a senior endocrinologist and diabetologist which has, ever since, been regularly assessing Kejriwal’s health in Tihar jail.

“The court on July 6 directed further that in case of any query Arvind Kejriwal’s wife can independently approach the AIIMS medical board for consultation on diet and other matters,” Tihar jail officials said.

They said the vitals of the Chief Minister were within normal limits. Last assessed on Sunday, Kejriwal’s BP was 114/74, pulse was 80 and weight was 61.5 kg.

A report of the senior medical officer of Tihar jail, detailing Kejriwal’s measured weight on each day of his incarceration, has further been sent to the Delhi Government’s Home Department.

It shows Kejriwal weight 65 kg on April 1, the day of admission to jail, and 61.5 kg on July 14.

The day he surrendered at Tihar jail after the exhaustion of his interim bail on June 2, he weighed 63.5 kg. Jail officials said the Kejriwal had lost 2 kg since June 2 and not 8.5 kg, as the AAP leaders are claiming.

Meanwhile, in a statement, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said Tihar authorities have accepted that Kejriwal’s sugar levels dropped multiple times and that he has lost weight.

He claimed the AAP chief could go into a coma or suffer a brain stroke if his sugar levels drop while he is asleep.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22. He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a corruption case related to the alleged scam from Tihar jail on June 26.

Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on Friday in the money-laundering case but he remains in jail in connection with the CBI case. —with PTI inputs