AAP MlA Jarnail Singh absconding: Bassi

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today said that AAP's Tilak Nagar MlA Jarnail Singh is absconding over his alleged involvement in assaulting an MCD engineer during the demolition of an illegal colony in west Delhi.

According to Bassi, Singh had filed an anticipatory bail to avoid arrest but it was "rejected" following which he went into hiding.

"Jarnail Singh's anticipatory bail was rejected and he is absconding now. I feel that he should surrender before the police as soon as possible," Bassi told reporters here.

An FIR was registered against Singh last week after police received a complaint from SDMC junior engineer, Azhar Mustafa in this connection.

Mustafa has claimed that when Singh was shown documents authorising a demolition, Singh tore them up.

"One the basis of the complaint, we have registered an FIR under IPC sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) at Tilak Nagar Police station against Singh" Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Pushpendra Kumar had said.

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said that the "culture of impunity" was on the rise in the capital since the AAP government assumed office.

"If he has not committed any crime then he should respect the law and surrender before the police instead of running away from its grip," he said.

Several controversies have hit the AAP government since it stormed to power in February and it has been at loggerheads with the police over various issues including the turf war over probing farmer Gajendra Singh's alleged suicide.

Several FIRs have also been filed against its MlAs including the Assembly Speaker and AAP legislator from Shahdara Ram Niwas Goel.