Sacked AAP minister booked for rape

Sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar was on Saturday arrested by the police, hours after a case of rape was registered against him. The minister was arrested before the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), (Outer) Delhi, after a woman accused him of spiking her drink during her visit to his house.

Mr Kumar has been booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence), 67A of the IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration for an official act), said a senior police official.

Addressing the media, DCP Vikramjeet Singh said, “We arrested him on the basis of evidence. He was on his way to surrender when we arrested him. He will soon be produced in the court.”

After recording the statement of the woman and Mr Kumar, he was booked on charges of rape, transmission of material containing sexually explicit act, and taking illegal gratification. In her complaint, the woman said that around 11 months ago she was raped by Mr Kumar when she had gone to his office in outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri seeking help to obtain a ration card.

She said that Mr Kumar had offered her a spiked drink and when she fell unconscious, she was raped. The woman further alleged that Mr Kumar had told her that he will get a ration card for her and also ensure jobs for her children.

Earlier in the day, AAP’s political affairs committee suspended the 36-year-old first-time MLA. Mr Kumar was removed from the council of ministers on August 31 by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after the CD purportedly showing him in compromising position with a woman surfaced.

Out of 67 AAP MLAs 23 are facing criminal charges dating back to 2010 and 10 MLAs have been arrested. Mr Kumar is the thirteenth AAP MLA to be arrested ever since the party came to power in February 2015.