Sacked AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar, arrested on rape charges on the complaint of a woman, was on Monday remanded to three-day police custody by a Delhi court. The Delhi Police also detained his personal assistant who is accused of circulating a CD which showed Kumar in a compromising position with a woman.
Praveen Kumar, who is Kumar’s PA, was detained from Delhi Secretariat, police said. “As of now, we have detained him for questioning from Delhi Secretariat,” said DCP(Outer) Vikramjeet Singh.
Kumar was produced before Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry on expiry of one day police custody. During questioning by police, Sandeep had claimed innocence alleging that Praveen had “tried to blackmail” him and “threatened to harm his public image”.
Police had on Sunday conducted searches at the residence of the minister and his acquaintances.
Kumar was arrested on September 3 after a woman approached Sultanpuri police station in north Delhi with a complaint of sexual harassment against the former social welfare and women and child development minister following which a case was filed.
The woman had figured in an objectionable video with him.
He has been booked under section 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC, under section 67A of IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration for an official act).
Kumar was removed from the AAP government on August 31 by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with the woman surfaced.
The MLA from Sultanpur Majra had surrendered before the investigators at the office of DCP(Outer) in Pitampura where his statement was recorded, police officials had said.
The 36-year-old MLA on Thursday defended himself saying he has been targeted under a “controversy” as he was a Dalit. Kumar’s wife has also come out in support of her husband, claiming that he was “falsely implicated” in the scandal.
(Feature image source: PTI)