Questioned in CS ‘assault’ case, CM says Centre forcing police

NEW DELHI:In an unprecedented development, Delhi Police on Friday questioned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for three hours in connection with the case of the alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash. The incident had taken place on the intervening night of February 19-20. The police said the CM cooperated but evaded answering a few questions. He may be questioned again.This was conveyed to him and he agreed.

The police will be questioning deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia next on the allegation that he called the chief secretary for the meeting that evening. The police had served a notice on Kejriwal on Thursday, asking him to join the investigations at 11am on Friday. The CM had replied that he would be available only at 5pm at his camp office because of some prior commitments. He wanted to get his questioning recorded on video, a request that was turned down by the police. They, however, recorded the proceedings for themselves.
On Friday, additional DCP Harendra Singh, three inspectors and a few other cops reached the CM’s residence around 4pm. The questioning started an hour later and was video-recorded by the police. Kejriwal was accompanied by his lawyers and answered many questions after consulting them.
“We questioned the CM for three hours. He has been cooperative but he evaded some questions. He had asked for a copy of the video recording but we have denied his request,” DCP Singh said. The police is learnt to have prepared a list of more than 50 questions. First, he was asked to narrate the sequence of events. He was then asked about each allegation made by the CS in the FIR.
The police had earlier arrested two AAP MLAs, Parakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan, in the case. Now, they are likely to file a chargesheet after getting approval from the lieutenant governor or state home ministry as per the provisions laid out in section 195 of CRPC, related to prosecution of public servants.
The statement of CM’s former advisor, V K Jain, who resigned after the incident, is being relied upon. Jain is the star witness for the police and has corroborated Prakash’s charges.
The FIR in the case has been lodged under stringent IPC sections, including that of hatching a criminal conspiracy. Apart from section 120 B that pertains to criminal conspiracy, police have invoked sections of wrongful confinement (342), attacking and obstructing a public servant (186/353), assaulting a public servant while on duty (332), intentional insult with intent to cause breach of trust (504), common intention (34) and criminal intimidation (506). The charges, if proved, are punishable for up to seven years under the law.