Had mangoes thrice from home in jail: Delhi CM Kejriwal to Rouse Avenue Court

The ED had on Thursday alleged that the CM, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail after being arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, was deliberately eating mangoes and other food to raise his blood sugar levels and create grounds for bail

Kejriwal, mangoes, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal,

Kejriwal’s diet included eggs, poha, namkeen, banana, upma, uttapam, roti, puri sabji, salad, rajma, rice, tea, mango, papaya and sweets, as per the submissions of the ED. (Express Archive)

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday informed the Rouse Avenue Court that mangoes were sent from his home only thrice after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21. Besides, Kejriwal said, he had sugar-free sweets six times.

He made the submission while the court was hearing his application to allow him to have insulin inside the jail owing to his diabetic condition. Kejriwal has also requested online consultation with a private doctor every day for 15 minutes in the presence of his wife Sunita Kejriwal.

The ED had on Thursday alleged that the CM, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail after being arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, was deliberately eating mangoes and other food to raise his blood sugar levels and create grounds for bail.

“How petty and political the ED can get. The CM will hover on the edge of death, just to get out on a medical bail… just because he’s an undertrial prisoner, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have rights,” argued senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

“Is the CM a gangster? Can’t he be allowed one VC (video call) for 15 minutes with a doctor daily?” quipped Singhvi.

Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta who also appeared for Kejriwal said, “…agar aam admi aam nahi khaayega, toh kya mushroom khayega (Will the common man eat mushrooms and not mangoes)?”

Representing the ED, Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain, however, claimed that there were deviations between the home-cooked food that Kejriwal was eating and the diet that was prescribed by his doctor.

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“The prescribed diet has no reference to any fruits, sweets. It appears to be a very restricted and regulated diet,” said Hossain.

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On the other hand, the counsel for the jail authorities submitted that the CM’s sugar levels would drop drastically if he took insulin. He added that Kejriwal’s sugar levels were normal on most days.

“Home-cooked food has to follow the prescribed diet… Otherwise, I will have to submit that home-cooked food is not allowed as per prison rules,” he added.

Comparing the home-cooked food and the prescribed diet, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja observed that there were slight deviations. She then requested Singhvi to file a chart showing the deviations.

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“There are only three minor deviations…” said Singhvi. The ED asked the court if they could ask an AIIMS doctor to check if the CM needed insulin. Following this, the court asked Singhvi whether a medical board should be constituted.

“I’m merely asking for a meeting with my doctor for 15 minutes a day,” submitted Kejriwal through Singhvi. On the other hand, Gupta submitted in court that many fruits sent from the CM’s house were sent back.

After the arguments concluded, the court reserved orders for Monday asking the ED and jail authorities to file a reply to Kejriwal’s application requesting insulin intake and consultation with his doctors through VC for 15 minutes daily.

Kejriwal’s diet included eggs, poha, namkeen, banana, upma, uttapam, roti, puri sabji, salad, rajma, rice, tea, mango, papaya and sweets, as per the submissions of the ED.

Nirbhay Thakur

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

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