Kejriwal’s Adviser Claims Delhi CS Anshu Prakash Was Assaulted

The two accused AAP MLAs were sent to a 14-day judicial custody in Tihar Jail by a Delhi court.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal being produced at Tis Hazari court in New Delhi, on Thursday. 

(Photo: PTI)

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's adviser VK Jain has given contradictory statements about the alleged attack on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP legislators, the Delhi Police on 23 February told a court.

It has said that "new facts" have emerged after the interrogation of Jain, who disclosed that MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan surrounded Chief Secretary Prakash and he saw them assaulting the senior bureaucrat, additional public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava told Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tondon.

Jain had previously said he had not seen anything as he had gone to the washroom at the time of the incident on Monday night.

“New facts have emerged in the case. The advisor to the CM is being interrogated and his statement under Section 164 of the CrPC has been recorded. He has given us four names. The police custody of both the MLAs is required to unearth the whole conspiracy,” the prosecutor said moving a fresh plea for their custody.

Khan and Jarwal were sent to a 14-day judicial custody in Tihar Jail by the court on 22 February, which reserved its order on their bail pleas for 23 February.

During the hearing on Friday, 23 February, Shrivastava told the court that Jain had called the chief secretary for a meeting at 08:45 pm on Monday, and at 10:00pm the officer confirmed to him that he would attend the meeting.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan, appearing for Prakash, also supported the plea for police custody, saying the alleged attack on the officer was pre-meditated and was witnessed by the CM's adviser.

In his statement, Jain said when the meeting started, Kejriwal said that MLAs wanted to discuss certain issues but randomly all of them started questioning the chief secretary about the delay in the release of funds for AAP government’s media publicity on its achievement in education and fighting corruption.

Jain was picked up by the Delhi Police on 22 February morning from his residence at Maharani Bagh in connection with the case.

The chief secretary has alleged in his complaint that he was sitting on a sofa flanked by Khan and another AAP MLA during the meeting.

"Khan and the other MLA, without provocation from my side started hitting and assaulting me with blows on my head and temple," he alleged in his complaint.

(The Quint, in association with BitGiving, has launched a crowdfunding campaign for an 8-month-old who was raped in Delhi on 28 January 2018. The baby girl, who we will refer to as 'Chhutki', was allegedly raped by her 28-year-old cousin when her parents were away. She has been discharged from AIIMS hospital after undergoing three surgeries, but needs more medical treatment in order to heal completely. Her parents hail from a low-income group and have stopped going to work so that they can take care of the baby. You can help cover Chhutki's medical expenses and secure her future. Every little bit counts. Click here to donate.)