Tihar, Delhi, Punjab Police officials to discuss security plan for Bhagwant Mann-Arvind Kejriwal meet on April 11

PTI, Apr 11, 2024, 8:10 AM IST

New Delhi: Officials of Tihar jail, Delhi Police and Punjab Police will hold a meeting here on Friday to discuss the security arrangement for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s meeting with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal lodged in the prison, officials said.

Mann has sought time from the Tihar administration to meet the Delhi chief minister who is lodged in Tihar’s jail number 2 in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam case.

Kejriwal has given the names of six people, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, whom he wants to talk to or meet in the jail.

A statement by the jail authorities said, “Prison Department, Delhi, has fixed an advance security liaison meeting with Additional Director General (Police), Punjab, Delhi Police and Tihar Administration on March 12 at 11 am in the office of Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) at Tihar Prison Headquarters, Delhi.”

“It is for making security arrangements and completion of codal formalities, as mandated in Delhi Prison Rules, to arrange a meeting of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab with Arvind Kejriwal currently lodged in Tihar Jail,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that he and the Punjab chief minister wanted to meet Kejriwal in jail but the meeting was cancelled by the prison authorities, even though a token number was issued for it.

The AAP claimed that Kejriwal’s blood sugar level has increased to 160 in Tihar. The jail officials, meanwhile, claimed that he has gained weight in judicial custody. His weight is now 66 kilogramme, they said.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. He is in judicial custody till April 15.

The ED has accused Kejriwal of being involved in the “entire conspiracy of Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting the quid pro receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of proceeds of crime generated out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for Goa Assembly elections”.