Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is diabetic, has experienced fluctuating blood sugar levels and a deteriorating health condition while in Enforcement Directorate custody, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources told news agency PTI.
At one point, Kejriwal’s blood sugar level dropped to 46 mg, a potentially perilous situation, as indicated by doctors, the sources claimed.
During a digital briefing earlier in the day, the chief minister’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, reported that she visited him in ED custody and observed his sugar level fluctuating. She urged the public to pray for his recovery.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED last week in connection with a money laundering case related to the now-defunct Delhi excise policy. He remains in ED custody until March 28. The chief minister has contested his arrest in court.
Kejriwal on Wednesday urged the Delhi High Court to order his immediate release from ED custody in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’, contending his arrest on the cusp of elections was “against the basic structure of the Constitution”.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the AAP leader, argued, “Object of the arrest was not to find material but to disable me and my party. My prayer is, release me now.”
Singhvi additionally asserted that according to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, there was no essential requirement to detain Kejriwal, emphasizing that the grounds of “non-cooperation” were excessively utilized by the central investigative body.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma indicated orally that she would issue a notice regarding the petition and allow the Enforcement Directorate (ED) time to respond. She stated that she would subsequently issue an order on the issue and publish it later in the day.
Singhvi urged the court to grant interim relief in the meantime to the Delhi CM by ordering his release.
The case revolves around alleged corruption and money laundering related to the formulation and execution of Delhi’s excise policy for the fiscal year 2021-22, which was subsequently scrapped.