Court rejects AAP MLA Surinder Singh's anticipatory bail plea

NEW DELHI: In a setback to AAP MLA Surinder Singh, a Delhi court today dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in a case in which he has been accused of assaulting an NDMC employee and passing casteist remarks.

The court said a prima facie case is made out against Singh, a former NSG Commando and AAP MLA from Delhi Cantonment, under the Scheduled Castes/Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

"Ingredients of offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are prima facie made out against the accused," Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh said, adding the anticipatory bail plea was not maintainable due to the bar under the SC/ST Act.

The court had yesterday reserved the order on the plea after hearing arguments of the counsel for Singh and police.

Special Public Prosecutor Anupam S Sharma had opposed Singh's anticipatory bail plea and questioned maintainability of the application saying that the FIR has been lodged under various provisions of IPC and SC/ ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act and anticipatory bail was barred under the special legislation.

Senior counsel H S Phoolka, who had appeared for Singh, had sought bail saying the MLA has been falsely implicated in the case. He had said Singh had already joined the probe and he had not passed the alleged derogatory remarks warranting charges under SC/ST Act.