 "Arvind Kejriwal begins 15-day stay in Tihar Jail: All you need to know")
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent his first night in Delhi's Tihar Jail after being sent to a 15-day judicial custody by a Delhi court on Monday. This development followed as his custody with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ended on April 1 in the money laundering probe linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
"Kejriwal slept on his own bed, which was different from the regular one provided by the jail authority. Since the area was small, he could have faced difficulty but didn't complain about it," sources in Tihar Jail said on Tuesday.
How long will Kejriwal stay in Tihar?
Kejriwal will remain locked up in Tihar Jail's prison number two until April 15, according to Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court's order.
"He was brought to Tihar Jail and will be lodged in jail number 2. He was taken for a medical examination. He will be kept in a separate cell," the jail official had said on Monday.
What facilities have been provided to Kejriwal in jail?
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief's lawyers had moved an application to the court, seeking permission for facilities such as books and a special diet, which have been granted.
The court has also allowed Kejriwal to keep devices such as a sugar sensor and glucometer, isabgol, glucose, and toffees on his table as he suffers from diabetes.
The Delhi CM has been provided with a table and a chair to keep three books, as per the court's order.
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What is Tihar Jail's daily routine like?
Delhi CM is lodged in the Tihar complex, which is spread over 400 acres in the national capital. The institution follows a rigorous routine for its inmates, a routine now being experienced by Kejriwal.
He was served breakfast at around 6:30 am on Tuesday morning. This will be followed by an early lunch as the Tihar inmates are required to be back in their cells at noon.
"They have to stay there till 3 pm," the sources said.
After having an evening tea-biscuit snack, inmates proceed to an early dinner, after which they are required to return to their cells by 7 pm.
Will Kejriwal run the Delhi government from Tihar?
Kejriwal, who has become the first sitting CM in India to be jailed, is running his AAP government in the national capital from his cell.
On his issuing orders while in custody, the Delhi High Court on Monday asked the ED to submit its note to the special judge.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said the special judge is directed to pass an order, if required, per the law. It clarified that it has not commented on the locus standi of the petitioner.
The court also dismissed a public interest litigation that aimed to prevent Kejriwal from issuing orders as the CM while in ED custody.
How did the AAP react to Kejriwal's arrest?
AAP ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, who have been at the forefront of the party's operations since Kejriwal's arrest, have extended their support to him. They alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre is misusing probe agencies as it "fears" facing defeat at the hands of the Delhi CM in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Atishi also claimed that in the months preceding the Lok Sabha elections conclusion, the ED will also arrest "her, Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP leaders Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha..."
Her statement followed a day after the ED told the court that the AAP chief named Atishi and Bharadwaj in connection with the case.
"Kejriwal told during interrogation that Vijay Nair used to report not to me but to Atishi. Vijay Nair has been close to Kejriwal. Kejriwal said during interrogation that Nair did not report to him, he used to report to Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj," the probe agency said.
What is the Delhi liquor policy 'scam'?
The Delhi liquor policy "scam" probe involves the now scrapped 2021-22 excise policy, which the AAP government allegedly manipulated to favour private retailers in exchange for a Rs 100 crore bribe.
The case investigation began two months after Delhi LG VK Saxena assumed office in May 2022. He recommended a CBI probe in the policy, first launched in 2021. After the allegations of wrongdoing, the policy was rolled back in July 2022.
Who else has been arrested in the probe?
At least 15 people have been arrested in connection with the probe, including many businessmen, senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and BRS leader K Kavitha. Kavitha is charged by the ED to be linked with the "south group," which reportedly paid a bribe to the Delhi government.
Sisodia is lodged in Tihar's prison number one while Singh is in prison number five. Kavitha is stationed in prison number six of the women's jail.