Sacked AAP Minister's police remand extended by a day

New Delhi, Sep 8: Sacked Delhi Minister and AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar, arrested on rape charges on the complaint of a woman, was today remanded to one-day police custody by a court here after police said he was not cooperating in the probe.

Kumar, 36, was produced before Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry on expiry of three-day police custody and the court further extended the remand till tomorrow.

During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Balbir Singh sought Kumar's two-day police custody saying he was not cooperating in the probe and the probe agency has to recover original electronic device used for making the objectionable video.

The prosecution also said as per their investigation, the recording appeared to be 11-12 months old.

Advocate Pradeep Rana, appearing for Kumar, opposed the police plea for custody saying the police had not done any substantial investigation in the past four days and has not been able to find out the source of alleged video yet.

He said there was nothing in Kumar's statement to show that he can get the alleged device recovered.

Mediapersons were not allowed inside the court room during the hearing.

Kumar was arrested on September 3 after a woman had approached Sultanpuri police station in north Delhi complaining 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 for an official act).

In her complaint, the woman alleged that around 11 months ago she was raped by Kumar when she had gone to his office in Outer Delhi's Sultanpuri seeking help to obtain a ration card.

Kumar was removed from AAP government on August 31 by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the CD 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.

Soon after the controversy, the MLA had defended himself, saying he has been targeted. Kumar's wife has also come out in support of her husband, claiming that he was "falsely implicated" in the scandal.

PTI