Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar was on Tuesday arrested in connection with the ongoing row over the authenticity of his academic degree.
Information about Mr. Tomar's arrest emerged after senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh tweeted about his detention around 11 a.m.
Mr. Tomar had been booked under Sections pertaining to cheating and fraud after a university from Bhagalpur in Bihar >submitted to a city court that he was not on its student rolls despite having a degree seemingly issued by it.
The police claimed it had sought Mr. Tomar's time and asked him to join investigation pertaining to the case on several occasions but the latter had not made himself available.
A senior police officer said permission from Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung was sought and given, prior to Mr. Tomar's arrest as per protocol.
"I'm in a car, being taken to the Vasant Vihar police station," Mr. Tomar was understood to have told his aides as per police sources.
Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said he had no information about the minister's arrest.
Mr. Tomar would be produced at Saket Court at 2 p.m.
Some reactions to Mr.Tomar's arrest:
PB and I raised this question 4 months ago. If his degrees are genuine, why not make them public? Why hide behind court procedures?
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) >June 9, 2015
The real issue is not technicalities of Tomar's arrest; that's for courts to decide. Issue here is govt's and party's refusal to come clean.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) >June 9, 2015
. >@msisodia : >#Delhi Vidhan Sabha speaker has just reacted on Jitendra Tomar arrest, will share his reaction soon >@the_hindu>@DelhiConnect
— Jatin Anand (@JatinPaul) >June 9, 2015 . >@msisodia : The LG is trying to impose emergency in >#Delhi>@the_hindu>@DelhiConnect
— Jatin Anand (@JatinPaul) >June 9, 2015The Deputy CM Manish Sisodia reacted to the arrest: " Emergency-like situation in Delhi. Is he a terrorist, has he set off a bomb in Delhi to be arrested? Mr. Tomar has been arrested to deter Delhi Government to act against corruption."
