Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan gets bail

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan on Monday morning in the assault case of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. The court had already granted bail to other AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in the case on March 9. 

"The petitioner (Khan) has served an incarceration of more than 20 days and no further custodial interrogation is required. So the petitioner is released on bail," said Justice Mukta Gupta while granting relief to the Okhla lawmaker.

During the hearing, the Delhi Police counsel submitted a status report stating that Khan was named in 12 criminal cases, out of which he has been discharged in three cases.

Last month, the Delhi Chief Secretary alleged that he was 'manhandled' by Khan and Jarwal others, during a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Monday night. An FIR was later filed against the two AAP MLAs and others on the basis of Prakash's complaint. 

Refuting all allegations, AAP leaders Jarwal and Dutt claimed that the Delhi Chief Secretary made casteist remarks and lodged a complaint against him with the Delhi Police and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. 

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association later decided to maintain only formal written channels of communication and not meet anyone post office hours or talk over the phone. 

"The three Associations of the Delhi government officers (IAS, DANICS and DASS) have decided that they will only maintain the formal written channels of communication with the political executive, till such time the Chief Minister admits and apologizes for the incident of physical assault on the Chief Secretary... and strong action is taken against the people responsible for it," an official statement by the association read. 

A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to the two legislators, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters”.