New Delhi, 18 August (H.S.):

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday questioned the alleged detention of Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar by the Delhi Police in the early hours of the day, claiming that the action was linked to his demand for justice in the killing of a sanitation worker.

Kejriwal alleged that Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes arrived at Kuldeep Kumar’s residence at around 4 a.m. and took him away. He further claimed that the CCTV cameras installed at the MLA’s residence were damaged and that the digital video recorder (DVR) was taken away by the police.

Kejriwal said that no clear information was being provided about Kumar’s whereabouts. “If a legislator can be taken away from his home by the police without any information or explanation, where does the common man go in this country?” he asked.

Meanwhile, AAP Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha visited the office of the East District Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) on Tuesday and attempted to obtain information from police officials regarding Kuldeep Kumar. He said the police should clarify the case in which Kumar was allegedly detained and where he had been taken.

Sanjeev Jha alleged that the action against Kuldeep Kumar was taken because he had been demanding justice in connection with the killing of a sanitation worker in Kalyanpuri. He said police personnel in plain clothes arrived at Kumar’s residence and took him away.

He said it was a serious matter if an elected representative was detained merely for demanding justice and the police failed to provide any information about his status. He demanded that the Delhi Police immediately clarify Kumar’s whereabouts and situation.

Sanjeev Jha said he had been repeatedly trying to contact the Police Commissioner and Joint Police Commissioner. The AAP leader also questioned the law-and-order situation in Delhi, alleging that those demanding action over serious incidents such as murder were themselves being detained.

Jha said Kuldeep Kumar’s only “fault” was that he had been seeking justice in the sanitation worker’s murder case. He warned that if the police failed to clarify the situation concerning Kumar, public anger in Delhi would be visible on the streets.

He added that the Aam Aadmi Party would not accept the alleged police action and would continue to demand a clear explanation regarding the entire matter.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar