AAP MLA quizzed in abetment to suicide case of party worker

Narela MLA Sharan Chauhan questioned by the police; ‘party volunteer’ arrested

AAP worker Soni.file photo

The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday questioned AAP MLA from Narela Sharad Chauhan in connection with the death of a woman AAP volunteer, who allegedly committed suicide last week.

Mr. Chauhan’s questioning took place after one Ramesh Bahradwaj was arrested by the police on Wednesday

The deceased had held Mr. Bahradwaj responsible for her suicide and had described him as a fellow AAP volunteer close to the MLA.

Hours of questioning

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said Mr. Chauhan had been called in for questioning on Wednesday evening and he was let off after a few hours.

“We had called him to ask the whereabouts of his supporters Amit and Rajnikant, the names of both had cropped up during the investigation. The two are currently underground as was Mr. Bharadwaj till we arrested him on Wednesday. We need to question both the supporters to connect the dots in the case,” said Mr. Yadav.

The woman, who had consumed poison on July 19, had in her final moments named Mr. Bharadwaj as the man who forced her to commit suicide. This disclosure was also filmed on camera.

Her family too had alleged that the woman was being threatened by Mr. Bahradwaj after he came out on bail in another case where she had earlier accused him of sexually harassing her.

In the earlier complaint, submitted in June, the woman had accused Mr. Bharadwaj of making an indecent offer in exchange of promotion in the party ranks.

Video

The family had also alleged that after failing to get any justice from the higher-ups in the party, she consumed poison.

The family’s comments had the BJP and the AAP trading charges against each other. Even on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta shared a video in which the woman’s husband is claiming that inducements and threats continue to come from the AAP.

Reacting to the latest development, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Lalitha Kumaramangalam, said the family of the deceased AAP worker had written to her, asking for security.

“I have asked the Crime Branch to provide 24/7 protection to the children of the AAP worker,” she said.

The probe into the first case of insulting the modesty of a woman and the subsequent case of abetment to suicide was carried out by a SIT including Crime Branch officers.