Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently out on interim bail in connection with the excise policy case, has approached the Supreme Court seeking an extension of the same by seven more days to undergo a host of medical tests, including a PET-CT scan in view of his “sudden and unexplained weight loss, coupled with high ketone levels”, which are indicatives of kidney, serious cardiac ailments and even cancer.
Kejriwal, in his plea filed on May 26, stated that he will get all these tests done in the working week from 3.06.2024 (Monday) to 7.6.2024 (Friday) and then surrender on the weekend, i.e. 9.06.2024.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi also on Monday said Kejriwal has sought a one-week extension of his interim bail as he needs to undergo tests due to his recent weight loss and rise in ketone level which could be symptoms of some kidney problem or even cancer.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva called this move a “drama” by the Chief Minister to avoid going back to jail after his interim bail in a money laundering case ends on June 1. The interim bail granted to Kejriwal has stirred controversy, with BJP leaders alleging preferential treatment by the Supreme Court.
The PET-CT scan shows detailed pictures of organs and tissues. These tests are to be done in a particular sequence and would require about five-seven days, it said, adding “sudden and unexplained weight loss, coupled with high ketone levels could be indicative of kidney damage, serious cardiac ailments and even cancer”.
Early detection of these ailments is essential for preventing further progress of the disease and associated life risk and Kejriwal needed to undergo these tests, otherwise his life is at “high risk”, it said.
The fresh plea, which is likely to be taken up in the coming days by a vacation bench, said during the incarceration from March 21 to May 10, the Chief Minister suffered a lot of health-related complications which are also “partly attributable to the negligent and callous behaviour of the jail authorities”.
Kejriwal lost around six to seven kg of weight in the jail and has not been able to regain even after his release and renewing his earlier lifestyle to the extent possible, it said. “In the meantime, recent test reports confirm that the Appellant has also developed an unusually high blood glucose level as well as high ketone levels in urine, which indicate that in addition to increased blood sugar level, the appellant may have also developed kidney related complications and kidney damage,” it said.
Max Hospital’s medical team has already conducted preliminary examinations. The Chief Minister’s legal counsel argued that these tests are crucial for his well-being and requested the court to consider the extension to complete the necessary medical investigations.
“It is important to note that unexplained weight loss which a person is not able to regain along with the other symptoms ..., can have a host of causes, including some potentially life threatening ones. It is on account of this that a senior physician from Max Hospital upon a detailed clinical examination of the appellant at his home on May 25, 2024 has directed a host of tests including but not limited to tests such as whole body PET-CT to rule out any malignancies and Holter Monitor Test, where the appellant will be required to wear a Holter monitor for a few days while going about his daily activities to identify any irregularities in his heart functioning,” the plea said.