Court seeks ED's response on Jain's plea for food as per religious beliefs

A Delhi court on Tuesday sought the Enforcement Directorates response to a plea by jailed AAP minister Satyendar Jain seeking a direction to Tihar officials to provide him food items like fruits dry fruits and dates as per his religious beliefs as he was observing a fastSpecial Judge Vikas Dhull issued notice to the agency and directed it to file its reply by WednesdayThe application has also sought a direction to the prison officials to immediately conduct the ministers medical checkup It said that Jain was a strict adherent of Jainism but he was not being provided basic food that is partaken under his religion and medical facilities inside the prisonIt said that the Delhi Prison Rules provide for diets to be given as per the local or religious customs such as during Navratras and RamzanThe application alleged that from the day of Jains arrest on May 31 he has not been able to visit a Jain temple and being a strict Jain religious observer he has been on a religious fast and was not having cooked food pulses grains and milk productsFor last almost six months he has been surviving only on fruits vegetables seeds and dry fruits or dates This he was purchasing from his quota of ration available to all inmatesIn the meantime he has suffered a major fall in jail which led to a severe spine injury for which he was treated by LNJP Hospital He also has lung patches which is a postCovid symptom the application claimedAlso Read Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to nation dismiss Satyendar Jain BJP on massage videoIt added that for the last 12 days the jail administration has stopped providing him basic food items as per his religious beliefsThe ED had during a bail hearing earlier accused Jain of getting special treatment inside the jail A Tihar jail superintendent was also suspended for alleged involvement in providing special treatment to Jain in the prisonVideos purportedly showing Jain receiving massage and meeting visitors in his prison cell emerged last week sparking a major controversyThe petition claimed The jail administration has stopped providing the applicant with fruits or vegetables mixed seeds dry fruits and dates Since the applicant is on a religious fast for the last six months the dietary intake of such basic food items is necessary for his sustenance nourishment and survivalThat due to the said religious fast there is a serious risk of protein and iron deficiency and hence was prescribed the said diet by doctors or dieticians in jail and in hospital it addedThe application further added that stopping food items during the religious fast was illegal arbitrary and amounted to harassmentThe applicant is being starved by the jail authorities and is not being given sustenance or nutrition to even sustain his wellbeing The applicant is entitled to the said basic food item in view of his religious beliefs and fast the application allegedThe application added that Jain was due for a medical checkup including MRI scans on October 21 but it was not allowed to be done by the jail authorities by citing one excuse or anotherThe applicant has the right to a dignified human life it saidJain was arrested in a money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption ActThe court had on November 17 denied bail to Jain and two others in the caseHe is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him