Arvind Kejriwal sent to judicial custody till April 15: Delhi CM to run govt from jail in a first

In an unprecedented development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has become the first serving Chief Minister in India's independent history to govern while in jail. The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has sentenced Kejriwal to 15 days of judicial custody. 

This ruling follows Kejriwal's 10-day detention by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), after his arrest on March 21 in relation to an alleged excise policy scam. Kejriwal, despite his imprisonment, has refused to step down and continues to serve as the Chief Minister of Delhi.

Questions have been raised about the possibility of governing from jail. Former Tihar jail official, Sunil Kumar Gupta, provided exclusive insights to India Today TV on this. Gupta clarified that the Delhi Prison Act of 2000 allows authorities to designate any building or area within the jail as a prison, theoretically allowing a government to function from within jail. 

However, Gupta stressed that the decision to exercise such provisions lies solely with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena. Gupta referred to the case of industrialist Subrata Roy Sahara, who managed business transactions from Tihar jail after arrangements were made following the Lieutenant Governor's orders.

Prominent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are presently incarcerated in connection with the excise policy case. Former AAP minister Satyendra Jain is also detained in a separate money laundering case. In light of this, Arvind Kejriwal, due to his high-profile status, is expected to be closely monitored by the Enforcement Directorate to prevent any undue favours from jail officials. 

A meeting of Tihar jail officials was convened on Monday to discuss arrangements for Kejriwal, including his security and health condition. As Kejriwal grapples with this unique predicament, the situation raises significant questions about the interplay of law, governance, and political dynamics in India.