Amantullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal have been sent to the Tihar Jail; Aam Aadmi Party says they were targeted for being Dalit and Muslim
AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan taken to court yesterday
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Two AAP MLAs have been arrested here in connection with the alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, police said yesterday.
AAP MLA Amantullah Khan was arrested yesterday after he appeared at Jamia Nagar police station. Party legislator from Deoli, Prakash Jarwal, who was detained on Tuesday night, was also arrested, a police official said. In his complaint, Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash had alleged that he was sitting on a sofa flanked by Amantullah and another AAP MLA during the Monday night meeting, and without provocation, the two legislators "started hitting and assaulting" him "with blows on the head and temple". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has denied the allegations.
AAP MLAs Prakash Jarwal being taken to court yesterday. Pics/PTI
Court rejects police plea
The Delhi Police got a jolt with a court here rejecting its plea for custodial interrogation of Khan and Jarwal. The two MLAs were sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till today, when the court will hear their bail pleas, as the police sought time to reply on them. The court said the ground for judicial custody are justified as there are numerous cases against the accused MLAs. The court refused the plea of the Delhi Police to quiz them in custody for two days, saying the legislators were ready to cooperate and join the investigation.
AAP cries foul
The AAP yesterday cried foul over the arrest of the two MLAs, and claimed the two were being targetted as they belong to the Dalit and minority communities. AAP leader Ashutosh said the CS has not produced evidence against Jarwal and Khan, and yet the two were arrested. An attempt is being made to "malign" the party’s image, he claimed.