AAP MLA Mahinder Yadav sent to one day police custody

NEW DELHI: AAP MLA Mahinder Yadav, who was arrested for allegedly rioting and assaulting a public servant during a protest seeking action against an alleged sexual offender here, was today remanded to one-day police custody by a Delhi court.

Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh allowed police to quiz Yadav, MLA from Vikaspuri, till tomorrow after the investigating agency submitted that his custody was required to identify other persons involved in the offence during the protest.

The court also granted bail to four other accused- Rupesh Katyani, Devender Kumar, Roshan Kumar and Shailesh Kumar- who were also arrested in the case.

Advocate Kapil Sharma and Sanjeev Kumar, who appeared for Katyani, said these persons were released on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and a surety of like amount.

The judge conducted a closed door hearing and refused to allow media persons inside the court room.

According to police, Yadav, who was arrested earlier in the day, led a violent protest last evening in Nihal Vihar area in West Delhi following sexual assault on a three-year- old girl and the mob even attacked public vehicles and tried to set a vehicle on fire.

The protesters had demanded immediate arrest of the 38- year-old accused alleging that police was not pursuing the case promptly though Joint Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Dependra Pathak claimed that the alleged culprit was arrested much before the protest.

Yadav is the sixth AAP legislator to be arrested. Earlier MLAs Akhilesh Tripathi, Somnath Bharti, Commando Surinder Singh, Manoj Kumar and former law minister Jitender Singh Tomar were arrested on various charges.

"A case was registered last night and the MLA was arrested around noon today on charges of rioting, arson, assault on public servant, wrongful restraint and damage to public property," the police said.

Pathak said the protesters even manhandled a police team which had tried to pacify the agitators.

Reacting to Yadav's arrest, AAP's Delhi Convener Dilip Pandey had tweeted, "Delhi Police busy again arresting AAP MLA instead of ensuring Delhi women safety despite multiple warnings from courts."