Court reserves bail plea of AAP MLA Jarwal

A doctor, Rajendra Singh, 52, allegedly committed suicide in Durga Vihar in south Delhi on April 18th. Prakash Jarwal, who represents the Deoli assembly constituency, was arrested on May 9th, after a case of extortion and abetment to suicide was filed against him and others based on a police complaint by the doctor's son. The bail plea of Jarwal will be pronounced on Thursday by a Delhi Court.

New Delhi:A Delhi Court will pronounce on Thursday the order on the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Prakash Jarwal, arrested in connection with a case of alleged suicide of a doctor in south Delhi last month.

Rajendra Singh, 52, allegedly committed suicide in Durga Vihar in south Delhi on April 18th.

In his suicide note, the doctor held Jarwal responsible for his death.

Like Jarwal, Singh was also involved in the business of water supply with the Delhi Jal Board since 2007, and police alleged that the MLA and his associates were extorting money from other water-tanker owners, including the doctor.

Jarwal, who represents the Deoli assembly constituency, was arrested on May 9th, after a case of extortion and abetment to suicide was filed against him and others based on a police complaint by the doctor's son -- Hemant.

Kapil Nagar, close aide of Jarwal is a co-accused in the case.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar reserved the order on the bail plea of Jarwal on Wednesday after hearing arguments from the lawyers appearing for the accused as well as the prosecution.

The hearing was held through video conferencing.

While seeking the bail for the politician, advocate Ravi Drall told the court that the suicide note was in different writings and that no illegal property found in the name of Jarwal.

"Victim was Tanker mafia who was blacklisted after sting operation by TV channel. Accused is a sitting MLA, hence there is no apprehension that he will abscond," he said.

While opposing the bail application, Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat submitted that the allegations against the MLA was serious in nature and that the investigation was still pending.

In his application, the accused claimed that the allegations against him were completely false and fabricated and he had no role in the unfortunate suicide of the deceased and as public representative he is equally pained by the death of the person.

The application said that there was no direct and indirect contact from the deceased in recent past so no question of harassment and money was ever been asked from him or his family.

It is therefore again contended on behalf of the Applicant/Accused that he is falsely implicated and the entire allegation against him is part of well crafted conspiracy.

He denies all the allegations are false and baseless and politically motivated, the plea, filed by advocate Mohd Irshad stated.

It further said that the veracity and genuinely of the suicide note is matter of the investigation and there might me a case the same has been used as tool to take revenge as the Applicant/Accused acted heavily against the tanker mafia.

The FIR says Singh had been threatened and intimidated by Jarwal and others.

"During investigation it was found that there was a big nexus between water-tanker owners and the accused person," the police said in the remand application.

Police said that their investigation showed the money extorted from water-tanker owners was routed through the MLA's brother Anil Jarwal and invested in several properties and farm-houses in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana) and Jaipur (Rajasthan).

They also claimed that Jarwal had got allotted many water bore wells in his constituency by influencing the Jal Board and one water bore well was illegally given after taking Rs 10 lakh as "gratification money".

Police said that complaints against the accused were filed to various authorities but action was never taken.

They said that they have found a WhatsApp group in the name of tanker-owners whose administrator is Kapil Nagar, a co-accused and Jarwal's close aide. Jarwal is one of its members.

The details clearly show the direct involvement of both the accused in running the tanker mafia in Sangam Vihar and Tigri.

(With inputs from PTI)