AAP MLA held for trying to murder woman; Kejriwal cries foul

New Delhi, July 24

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was on Sunday arrested after a woman alleged that he tried to mow her down after she visited his residence to raise the issue of power cuts, making him the tenth party legislator to be arrested.

He was sent to one day's police custody by a court here. Metropolitan Magistrate Ashok Kumar sent the Okhla MLA, who was produced in court, on police remand after Delhi Police sought his custody for investigation into the complaint.

Khan was first detained for questioning and then arrested, a day after he alleged in a press conference that the woman was “pressed” by police into giving a false statement against him.

Read: It’s holy war between Kauravas, Pandavas, says Kejriwal

“On July 22, the woman had recorded her statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. She had alleged that while she was returning from the legislator’s residence, a vehicle tried to mow her down and Amanatullah was sitting in it,” said Joint Commission of Police, Southeast Range, RP Upadhyay.

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Prior to that, she had on July 19 filed a complaint with police alleging that at the AAP MLA's residence in Jamia Nagar, a youth had on July 10 abused her and threatened that she would be killed if she did not stop politicising the matter. An FIR was subsequently registered.

After her statement to the magistrate, Section 308 (attempt to culpable homicide) was added to the FIR, the officer said.

“It is a non-bailable charge and we have arrested Khan,” Upadhyay said.

Reacting to Khan’s arrest, Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Modi ji arrests one more AAP MLA.”

Further, he tweeted in Hindi, “Anandiben in Gujarat sends Dalits and Patidars to jail in false cases, Modiji sends Delhiites to jail in false cases. Delhi and Gujarat will now fight together.”

The woman on Saturday had filed three police complaints alleging that she was receiving threats from unidentified people, following which she had been provided security.

The woman, a resident of Jasola, had last week in a police complaint said that she had telephoned Khan on July 10 and later went to his Batla House residence to raise the issue of power cuts with him.

She claimed that the minister did not meet her and while she was returning, a youth came out of the house, abused her and threatened that she would be killed if she did not stop politicising the matter.

Later, the FIR was registered against an unidentified youth under Sections 506 and 509 of the IPC at Jamia Nagar police station.

Amanatullah had, however, said he did not even know if the woman came to his residence.

The AAP on Saturday had rubbished the allegation levelled against the MLA, claiming Delhi Police had “pressed” the woman into giving a false statement against Khan. PTI