A day after being granted bail in the case related to offering a bounty on actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s heads for making ‘Padmaavat’, Suraj Pal Amu resigned from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This is the second time he filed his resignation. On 29 November, Amu had sent his resignation to BJP state chief Subhash Barala stating that he was upset with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's "attitude towards the Rajput community". His resignation was not accepted at that stage.
Amu was to be produced before a Haryana court on Monday, 29 January, after he was sent to judicial custody on Friday, 26 January. However, owing to his ill health, he was first taken to a Gurugram hospital from where he was referred to PGI Rohtak.
Ravinder Kumar, PRO Gurugram Police, had told ANI that as soon as his health recovers, Amu will be discharged from the hospital and taken back into custody.
"His arrest is preventive to maintain law and order in the state," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), East Gurugram, Kuldeep Singh told ANI.
“Amu was detained from his house in the upscale area of DLF,” a police officer told IANS.
In November 2017, Amu had announced a Rs 10 crore reward to anyone who beheaded actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for making Padmaavat. Alleging that the movie was disrespectful to the Rajput community, Amu also threatened to break the legs of actor Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Alauddin Khilji in the film.
On 21 November, he was booked under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by Pawan Kumar, a fan of Deepika and Bhansali. After the case was registered, Amu dared the Haryana Police to arrest him. He said he stood firmly by his statement, whether or not he remained in the BJP.
The Supreme Court is also hearing a plea filed against Amu for protesting against the film.
Padmaavat released nationwide on 26 January, barring some states.
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