AAP MLA Surinder Singh detained for slandering civic employee

By NewsGram Staff-Writer

Member of Delhi Legislative Assembly from Delhi Cantonment Surinder Singh was arrested on Friday by the police for allegedly abusing and making false comments about Mukesh, a worker of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). He is charged of abusing the employee with caste-based comments on August 5. Singh's driver Pankaj and assistant Praveen have also been charged of beating up the repairman.

Inputs from police have said that the incident took place when the NDMC employees were on a routine inspection of vegetable vendors near a signal at Tughlaq Road. Things started to heat up when the AAP MLA arrived at the location and started arguing with them. Soon, Pankaj and Praveen started beating up Mukesh, while Singh started abusing and threatening him.

Contrary to the claims, Surinder Singh denied the charges saying that the NDMC workers were demanding money from the vegetable vendors, and he just tried to intervene and solve the issue.

Later a police complaint was registered against the trio. Police kept sending notices to Singh but he did not turn up. He also met Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi giving his clarification on the issue. Meanwhile a city court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail and finally the arrest was made under various sections of SC/ST act.

The Aam Aadmi Party in its official statement defended the MLA by terming the arrest as wrong and 'suspicious'. They claimed that the arrest was Delhi Police's motivated action of shifting the focus from important issues and defaming the ruling AAP.

Singh and two others will be presented in city court within 24 hours.