The Delhi Police on Thursday registered a first information report against Aadmi Party MLA from Deoli Prakash Jarwal for assaulting a Delhi Jal Board employee, who had gone to drill a tubewell in the politician’s constituency.
The engineer, who was hospitalised briefly, even alleged that a supporter of the MLA had also trained a firearm at him saying “ main tumko uda doonga [I will shoot you]”.
The water utility said its Junior Engineer Arun Kumar was attacked by the MLA and his supporters after he refused to halt work on a tubewell in K-II, Sangam Vihar.
“The MLA wanted to inaugurate the tubewell and got angry when the engineer did not wait for him to begin the work,” said Jal Board member (water supply) B.M. Dhaul.
Upon a complaint by a Jal Board executive engineer, the FIR was registered against Mr. Jarwal under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public duty), 353 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) and 332 (assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sangam Vihar police station.
According to the Jal Board, a tubewell had dried up in the unauthorised colony and a new one was scheduled to be dug. “Mr. Kumar had informed the MLA well in advance that the team will be going there. Besides, we don’t have inaugurations for small projects like tubewells,” said spokesperson Sanjam Chima.
Mr. Jarwal, however, denied the charges. “The Junior Engineer started the work at 8 a.m., but by 10 a.m. locals started calling me saying he had stopped the drilling and was asking for money to continue.”
The MLA claimed that when he reached the spot, the Mr. Kumar spoke rudely and even abused him. “He asked ‘who are you to intervene?’ There is a BJP Government now, so no one will listen to AAP members.”
A scuffle soon broke out. While the MLA claimed Mr. Kumar kicked a woman who objected to his language, the Jal Board said Mr. Jarwal slapped Mr. Kumar.
“I haven’t ever hurt a fly. These allegations are all lies,” Mr. Jarwal said.
However, the Jal Board said not only did the MLA beat up Mr. Kumar, but one of his supporters even pulled out a pistol. “The vicious and sudden attack has left him shocked and dazed. He is afraid for his safety now,” said Mr. Dhaul.
Mr. Kumar, with a torn shirt and broken glasses, took some time to give a statement as he was traumatised, he added. He said there had been four such run-ins between the MLA and the water utility staff in the past. “In fact, we had to file an FIR against Mr. Jarwal earlier this month.”
Meanwhile, tanker service to the area that lacks piped supply was hit in all the confusion. “Our tanker staff was too scared to enter the area. At the end of the day, the public suffers,” said Ms. Chima.
