Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan a day after an FIR was lodged against him and other leaders of AAP for allegedly assaulting chief secretary Anshu Prakash. Later, he was produced at the Tiz Hazari court and has been sent to a day’s judicial custody.

Khan surrendered at Jamia Nagar police station early on Wednesday morning and thereafter was detained. Later, he was handed over to the Civil Lines police station where the FIR was lodged against him.
Meanwhile, the medical report of the Chief Secretary confirmed allegations of assault on him.

A police officer told The Statesman: “Before producing him in court, Khan was thoroughly interrogated at Civil Lines police station. He was asked to share the names of other MLAs who were present at the CM’s residence on Monday night.

He was also asked to state a reason for being missing from his house the night before.” However, Khan evaded most of the questions, said the police officer.

Another AAP MLA from Devli constituency, Prakash Jerwal, was arrested on Tuesday night from South Delhi for his alleged involvement in the clash with the chief secretary.

A police officer said: “After the arrest of Jerwal, a team of police reached Khan’s residence in Jamia Nagar but he was found missing from his house. His family was questioned about his whereabouts but they denied knowing anything.”

On Tuesday, Delhi Police registered two separate FIRs on the basis of complaints received from the chief secretary and later from the Delhi environment minister Imran Husaain.

In his complaint, Prakash alleged that he was beaten up and assaulted by Amanatullah Khan and others during a discussion over releasing of TV commercials with the chief minister, deputy chief minister and other MLAs at the CM’s residence.

Hours after the Chief Secretary submitted his complaint, Imran Hussain lodged an FIR at Central Delhi’s IP Estate police station alleging that he was assaulted and dragged from the lift by a mob at Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), meanwhile, said the arrest of its two legislators on charges of assaulting chief secretary Anshu Prakash is a “conspiracy” to “malign” the party’s image and claimed the two were arrested as they belong to minority communities.

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said without any inquiry and just on the basis of a complaint by the chief secretary the police arrested the two AAP lawmakers.

On the other hand, Singh said, the police has taken no action on the alleged assault on Delhi cabinet minister Imran Hussain and Delhi Dialogue Commission’s (DDC) vice-chairman Ashish Khetan at the Delhi Secretariat, despite having video evidence of the attack.

“The words of CS were treated as if they have come from Ramayan or Geeta. And without being given a chance to be heard our MLAs were arrested,” Singh said, adding that it is a “conspiracy” against the party.

Singh acknowledged that there was a heated argument between the AAP legislators and the Chief Secretary but rejected the allegation of any assault on him.

“The discussion was only about the delay in the supply of rations. If he was actually assaulted, then why didn’t he call the police after the incident,” Singh said.