Chief Secretary assault case - No threat to AAP MLA, allegations baseless: Jail authorities tell court

Mandoli jail authorities today told a Delhi court that there was no threat to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is in judicial custody in connection with the assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, terming his allegations as "baseless".

Superintendent of Jail number 11 of north-east Delhi's Mandoli, where Khan is presently undergoing 14-day custody, submitted its report before Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon in pursuance to the court's order seeking its reply on the legislator's application alleging threat to life.

"Kind reference is made to the orders of the court passed on the face of the application submitted by the counsel of Amanatullah Khan. Thereby, directing to submit a report on February 28 regarding the allegation leveled in the application.

"In this regard, it is submitted that the accused was called and informed about the application submitted by his wife before the court alleging therein that her husband has informed during the Mulakat that he is being beaten/threatened by the other inmates. He also expressed apprehension that he may be killed in jail during the custody," the report said.

It said that when the Okhla MLA was asked about the application, he said he has no apprehension regarding his safety.

"In response, he was asked to give his comments on the above matter and he informed that neither he was beaten or threatened by any inmate, nor he has any apprehensions regarding his safety. He is presently feeling quite secure.

"In view of the above, it is submitted that the allegations made are baseless," the report submitted by the jail superintendent said after which the court disposed of the MLA's application.

An application was moved by Khan's wife on February 26 alleging that when she visited her husband, who is lodged in jail since February 22, he told her that he was beaten, threatened and harassed by inmates. He had also claimed then that he was terrified that he may be killed in custody, the plea had said, seeking that he be shifted from Mandoli jail.

The MLA was arrested on February 20 in connection with the alleged assault on the bureaucrat during a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the night of February 19.

Deoli MLA Prakash Jarwal was also arrested for the alleged assault on the CS. Both the legislators were denied bail by a magisterial court on February 23 with a court terming the case as "highly sensitive".

Yesterday, a sessions court had denied bail to Jarwal, who had challenged the magisterial court order denying him the relief. Khan has not yet moved the sessions court for bail.