NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who was sent by the Rouse Avenue Court to judicial custody for 15 days has been lodged at the Tihar’s central jail no 2 where 90 percent of the inmates are convicted criminals.
According to top official sources from the prison, there are around 650 inmates in jail no 2, of which nearly 600 have been convicted.
The Chief Minister, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged excise scam, was sent to judicial custody on Monday by a Delhi Court till April 15.
The jail no 2 is heavily guarded by security personnel round-the-clock and Quick Response Teams (QRT) have been kept on stand-by in case of any kind of exigency.
Sources told this newspaper that there are around 650 CCTV cameras in the central jail where Kejriwal has been lodged. Kejriwal can watch television, except during designated prison activities, with access to 18 to 20 channels covering news, entertainment, and sports.
Like any other common prisoner, Kejriwal will have to follow the same routine -- breakfast at 7 am for which the menu is tea, biscuit, daliya (porridge) and bread. The inmates are served lunch around 11 am and from 12 pm - 3 pm, the ward remains closed. Around 3-4 pm, the barracks are again opened and the inmates are served snacks.
The dinner which usually has a Dal and one vegetable along with either Roti or Rice is served around 6.30 pm.
Sources further informed that there will be no specialized services for the CM and he will have to sleep inside his barrack either on the floor or a cemented platform. "He will be given a quilt and bedsheets along with a cushion," the source said.
Kejrwal’s former deputy, Manish Sisodia is also lodged in Tihar Jail No 1, former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain is in Jail No 7, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in Jail No 5.
Meanwhile, a former Tihar jail official said it would be extremely challenging for Kejriwal to run the government from behind the bars.
“There needs to be a dedicated support system for the Chief Minister. Currently, none of the 16 jails have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate a Chief Minister's office,” he said.
