Sanjay Raut Claims Cancer Began In Jail, Says Rahul Gandhi Suspected Food Poisoning

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that he suspected his cancer may have been linked to the time he spent in jail and alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had advised him to undergo a toxicity test to determine whether his food had been contaminated. Raut, speaking to reporters on Saturday, also accused the government of being “so cruel” that it could target political opponents even while they were in custody.

Raut Says Rahul Gandhi Suggested Toxicity Test

Raut claimed Gandhi had expressed concern about the safety of opposition leaders in jail and suggested that he undergo a toxicity test to check whether poison had been added to his food.

“Rahul ji had asked me to get a toxicity test done to ascertain if poison was added to food,” Raut said, according to PTI.

Raut alleged that the health problems faced by some political leaders who had spent time in prison raised concerns about possible tampering with food or water.

“There is a possibility in jail (that it can happen with) people like us who raise our voice against the government,” he said.

Raut was arrested on August 1, 2022, in connection with the Patra Chawl land case and spent 101 days in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail before being released on bail on November 9, 2022. He later chronicled his prison experience in his book Narkatla Swarg (Heaven in Hell).

Raut has said he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2025 and subsequently underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Who Is Sanjay Raut?

Sanjay Raut is a prominent leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and a vocal critic of the BJP and its allies in Maharashtra. A Rajya Sabha MP, Raut has been active in Maharashtra politics for several decades and is regarded as a close aide of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Before entering electoral politics, Raut worked as a journalist and went on to become the executive editor of Saamana, the Marathi newspaper founded by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

Raut's latest allegations come against the backdrop of his long-running criticism of the BJP-led government and his account of his time in prison.